Darkness at Dawn
by LavenderStorm
Summary: Kerrayrlia was a Bardic Trainee, destined to lead a relatively trouble-free life. But trouble arrives and she gets Chosen in the aftermath. More action follows as she adapts to life as a Herald Trainee.
1. Dark, Mysterious and Ethereal?

_**Author's Notes (2006): This is my first fanfic, so pls review and let me know how good (or bad) it is…**_

**_(2009) Upon coming across this fanfic that I wrote three years ago, I could not help but notice plenty of awkward phrases in the story. Hopefully, i'll have the time to look through all the chapters and edit it, if not, well, at least chapter 1 is more readable now XD_**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the settings or any character that you recognize in Mercedes Lackey's books**_

**Chapter One – Dark, Mysterious and Ethereal?**

Kerrayrlia smiled. Finally. At long last, she had finished composing the lyrics for her song. Stretching her arms, she leaned back against her chair and signed with satisfaction at the sheets of music and lyrics in front of her. She remained in that position for a long moment, idly contemplating if she should get her harp to play the melody once more. At least, until pale limbs flashed in front of her eyes. Before she could blink, the sheets of music had disappeared.

"Grey Dreams at Dawn, by Kerrayrlia, for my best friend Liritia. Wow, how mushy. If not for your obviously female name, anyone would assume that Liritia had a new boyfriend…" Kerrayrlia deftly appropriated the sheets off music out of Irisa's hands. Irisa was a fellow Bard trainee and her roommate; that did not stop her from being one of the most active busybodies in the Bardic Collegium. And an incurable gossip. No one's, least of all Kerrayrlia's, secrets were safe with her.

Kerrayrlia sighed again. She knew that by this time tomorrow, all the trainees would know about this new song that she had written. There would be bugging from the others, comments and possibly criticisms. While Kerrayrlia was not so arrogant that she did not accept critiques, she had a pride in her work that she did not like squashed. And the trainees could be merciless to a new piece of work, Kerrayrlia knew that only too well. _This means that I'd probably have to play this for Liritia before she hears of this from certain gossips, who would as a matter of course, exaggerate everything and probably skew the meaning of the song. _

"Come on, Kerri, let me take another look. Just a peek, pleeeeeease?" When Kerrayrlia shook her head, Irisa snorted. "Well, your character certainly matches your name. Kerri. Your nickname rightly means Dark and Mysterious. As to your full name, a combination between Kerri and a perversion of Airlia, well, it certainly suits you."

Kerrayrlia frowned. She disliked any mention of her full name. One would think that her father could have chosen a better name for her than a description of the mistress that he had been enamored of at that point in time. "Airlia means ethereal, Irisa, and I doubt that I fit that description in any way. And although I might be mysterious at times, it is only in prevention of you announcing my new songs to the others before I am ready."

Irisa laughed, a short sharp burst of joy that would surprise those who did not know her. She had a stern-looking countenance even at the best of times, with her square shaped face, short straight mud brown hair and dark brown eyes. Yet, she could always diffuse the most tense of situations with her laughter and her knack for speech. Sometimes, Kerrayrlia felt that Irisa should be a Herald. Then, she could be a diplomat and be useful in the currently tense situation with Valdemar's enemy neighboring country, Karse.

Unaware of the thoughts currently running in Kerrayrlia's mind, Irisa teased laughingly, "Well, your hair is certainly dark enough. As for the ethereal part of your name, your looks may just pass the Test for Ethereal Beauty."

Kerrayrlia shook her head and smiled a briefly. She considered Irisa's words as she firmly stuffed the sheets of music into the top drawer of her desk and locked it. Surveying herself with her mind's eyes, she frowned at what came to mind. Soft, black waves that fell just past her shoulders were her most attractive asset, but while her pale blue eyes were certainly large enough, framed as they were with long curly dark lashes, they were not eye-catching and even looked odd against her rust-coloured Trainee uniform. And the shade of her skin was decidedly too pale; she was just a few shades darker than the snow still falling outside her room.

With a shake of her head in denial of her implied beauty, Kerrayrlia stood up. "Let's turn in, Irisa. You can heap praises on my beauty tomorrow, if we wake up in time for breakfast." Irisa laughed again and playfully poked Kerrayrlia in the head. "Always so serious," she scolded mockingly.

Kerrayrlia gave Irisa another smile and then deliberately snuffed the lights. She had little to be light-hearted about other than music, but Irisa often managed to make her smile despite herself.

_Well, at least most of the time_, were her last thoughts before she fell asleep.

-LS-LS-LS-

The clash of metal upon metal reverberated through the salle, a place specially built for Trainees from all the Collegiums and the children of the nobles to practice weaponry under the supervision of a Weapons Master. Although it was winter, none of the Trainees felt the chill, mostly because they were all dripping with sweat from their physical exertion, incurred under the misnomer of "Weapons Practice".

_Practice my foot, it's more like torture, _Kerrayrlia thought grimly parried a blow aimed at her wrist. Her opponent was a Heraldic Trainee, who was way stronger than she was, being male and a year older than she was. But Kerrayrlia could hold her own; she had talent with the sword, particularly in this style of light, swift fencing that resembled an intricate dance. What with her naturally agile and fleet-footed physique, in addition to two years of harsh training, Kerrayrlia was adept at this particular style; her favourite.

She had become a Bardic Trainee three years ago, and had taken up Weapons training a year later. At the tender age of twelve, her father had decided that he had more than enough daughters at home, and had sent her, the eldest, to foster with her childless aunt at Havens.

Not that Kerrayrlia cared or minded terribly. With her mother dead since she was nine, Kerrayrlia had quickly outgrown any affection for her boorish and lecherous father. In fact, she had been glad of the chance to expand her horizons. If not for the sisters and brother that she had left behind, Kerrayrlia would have been perfectly content to leave her home. Not that she had been offered a choice. Though she readily admitted that this move to Havens had turned out to be unexpectedly beneficial.

Within months of her arrival at Havens, her musical talent had been discovered by a Bard and she had been registered at the Bardic Collegium. Luckily for her, she had all the three gifts; the ability to compose, the ability to perform and the all-important Bardic Gift. Her father, a minor noble, had not been able to prevent her acceptance into the Collegium. However, while she excelled at composing songs and could perform on five varying instruments, her Bardic Gift was just average in strength.

But Kerrayrlia certainly wasn't complaining. She was just thankful that the gods had taken pity on her by granting her the company of what she loved best; music. Without music, Kerrayrlia was not certain that she could have survived her childhood years.

**Please review and let me know if u think this story is interesting!**


	2. Confusing Friends

**Chapter Two – Confusing Friends**

A blow to her forearm jarred Kerrayrlia out of her wandering thoughts. Her opponent had taken advantage of her distraction to score a hit on Kerrayrlia's forearm. Any other person would have cursed; Kerrayrlia just frowned slightly, barely wincing at the pain delivered. It was, after all, her own fault that her thoughts had wandered off while practicing.

Kerrayrlia's opponent grinned, raising one finely arched golden-coloured eyebrow. He had not pressed the attack when he had the advantage, a fact that Kerrayrlia noticed and appreciated; she would have ended up with more bruises otherwise. Giving her opponent a small smile, Kerrayrlia said, "Let's continue, Zarien."

Zarien was a tall boy who towered a head and a half above Kerrayrlia, who was quite short, even for a female. His hair was a metallic blonde that glinted gold whenever touched by sunlight, a brilliant shade that any girl at Court would kill to possess. This shining mass of hair fell in soft but straight lines to his shoulders, arranged in a style that was currently considered the height of fashion at Court. Cool, intense eyes the colour of grey mist, just a shade darker than the pale Trainee Grays that Heraldic Trainees wore normally, only served to emphasize his striking hair colour.

Those piercing eyes were currently focused on Kerrayrlia, who immediately launched into an offensive before even taking the time to allow the pain of her bruise to fade. Back and forth both of them went, in a deadly and complicated dance, neither of them gaining another advantage before the Weapons Master, Herald Giaryn, signaled for them to stopped.

Zarien tossed Kerrayrlia another smile as he bowed to her, in acknowledgement of her skills at the sword. "As usual, thanks for the workout, Kerri." Kerrayrlia bowed in return to Zarien. He was one of the few male friends that Kerrayrlia had, which was the natural result of her usually aloof attitude around males. Yet although Kerrayrlia considered Zarien a friend, she was always careful to maintain her distance, distrusting his evidently handsome features and friendly smiles. This, she supposed, was the result of having a lecherous father. It made one paranoid when interacting with good-looking males.

But the comment warranted a response, and so Kerrayrlia replied after a few seconds of hesitation, which she suspected Zarien noticed. "Your skills have improved. That will keep me alert in future, and prevent me from woolgathering." Zarien laughed, an act that flashed his almost perfect set of white teeth.

He teased, "You mean I wasn't good enough to keep you falling asleep while sparring with me before? Kerri, you wound me." Winking at her stone-faced expression, he sobered when Giaryn, having noticed the conversation, barked. "Two extra rounds around the salle, Trainee Zarien, since you seem to have a lot more energy to spare. Everyone, three rounds to cool down and you can go."

Kerrayrlia inwardly winced. Two extra rounds around the salle was hardly cruel punishment, but it did ensure that Zarien would most probably not get to soak in a tub of hot water, coveted by all Trainees after weapons as soothing remedy to their aching muscles. Concerned, she stole a look at Zarien before turning to go, but far from the depressed expression she expected, Zarien's face was a pleasant empty mask. When he caught sight of her looking, he smiled briefly and mouthed the words '_I deserved it'_ to her.

Confused, Kerrayrlia started running. She certainly did not expect that of any male, so egoistical they seemed to be, to admit that they were ever wrong.

-LS-LS-LS-

Wandering around the gardens in the palace by herself was one of Kerrayrlia's favorite pastimes. Yet today, she was not alone since two of her best friends were accompanying her. One of them was her favourite harp, the only heirloom that her mother had left her, a silvery, delicate instrument. The other was a living being, in the form of one Liritia Falker; a Healer Trainee who had took it upon herself to befriend Kerrayrlia when they had accidentally crashed into each other at a party three years ago. Literally. Kerrayrlia could still remember the look of stunned surprise on everyone's faces when the two young girls, against all odds, had managed to bump into each other on the dance floor. But then, she had been a clumsy fledge, a mere slip of a girl at that time. The grace which she showed in wielding the sword had being gained only after those awkward coltish years. And Liritia...well, Liritia still had not mastered the art of dancing three years down the road. Which, Kerrayrlia thought, was part of her charm. Innocent, child-like and gentle Liritia...

Her soft auburn hair flew freely in the cold breeze, as Liritia tilted her face upwards to take in the feel of winter sun caressing her with its heat. Because of the cold, Liritia was dressed in her Healer Trainee's green, heavy cloak. Yet despite the warmth that the cloak provided, Liritia's pale face looked flushed with chill.

A note of concern in her voice, Kerrayrlia asked "'Ritia, are you well?" Turning, Liritia smiled at her best friend, taking in Kerrayrlia's appearance appreciatively. The russet-coloured Trainee Reds of the Bards contrasted with Kerrayrlia's black hair and pale blue eyes nicely, with the white winter background framing her. She knew that Kerrayrlia rarely indulged in emotional displays; coming from Kerrayrlia, that slight emotion showed in that question amounted to a worried demand.

"I am quite well, Kerri," was Liritia's soft reply to Kerrayrlia's questions. Gentle and soft-spoken most of the time, Liritia was everything Kerrayrlia wished she could be; pretty and sweet. With her auburn hair, soft hazel eyes and oval face, Liritia seemingly presented a picture of loveliness and health. But Kerrayrlia wasn't so sure. Liritia's cheeks resembled the reddish blush of a tomato, which was not at all normal on her usually milky pale complexion.

Liritia must have seen doubt in Kerrayrlia's face, for she added reassuringly, "Do not worry about me. After all, I am a Healer Trainee." With a start, Kerrayrlia nodded ruefully. She _was_ quite protective of Liritia, even though Liritia was two years older than she was. _It must be because 'Ritia seems so innocent and gentle. Well, at least when she's not on duty as a Healer. I've seen her once like that before and…let's just say I wouldn't dare disobey her orders if I am one of her patients. _

"Well," Liritia looked into Kerrayrlia's eyes, which was the colour of the winter sky. "What's the secret, my dear? Is it a secret so great that you had to drag me out into the gardens in the chilly morning?" A note of teasing entered her voice, and Kerrayrlia smiled in response.

Casually, Kerrayrlia replied. "I just fancied a walk. If you're tired, lets take a seat over there by the rocks and I can play a song or something..." She hid her excitement beneath her usual mask of aloof blankness. _I can't wait to see 'Ritia's reaction to this song. Oh, I hope I can repay her, at least a bit, through this song. She has been so nice to me all these years..._

Soon, strains of the melody drifted around the garden and wove itself into threads of friendship and comfort. Kerrayrlia was using her Gift to put all her feelings of gratitude into the music, and was soon so immersed in the playing of her song that she did not notice Liritia's expression change.

When the song ended, Kerrayrlia looked at Liritia expectantly, a smile forming on her face. But when she got a good look at Liritia, her smile faltered. Liritia's mouth was turned up in a frown, her forehead wrinkled angrily and her eyes flashed. Her expression, so foreign and unnatural on her usually open and kind face, reminded Kerrayrlia of finely chiseled ice.

_What's going on? Why does 'Ritia look so angry? _Confused,Kerrayrlia started to speak. Her blue eyes looked at Liritia searchingly as she gave voice to her questions. "What's wrong, 'Ritia? What happened?" Liritia did not reply. Instead, she glared fixedly at Kerrayrlia's harp, looking for the all the world as if she intended to devour the harp.

By now, Kerrayrlia was in a panic, though her face had regain its usual mask. _What did I do? Did my song offend her? What's wrong with her?_ All these thoughts flashed through her mind as she stared silently at her best friend, ignoring the snow that was just beginning to fall from the skies.


	3. Dark Happenings

**Author's Notes: **

**Disclaimer: Characters in this chapter are mine, except for Vanyel, Stefen and Treven. Settings and anything else you may recognise belong to Mercedes Lackey.**

**Finally. Finished the third chapter. Only got 1 review so far and that's from silverbrillance. So, this chapter is dedicated to silverbrillance, with thanks.**

Chapter 3 Dark Happenings

_Pain flashed brilliantly in a rolling sea of red waves. Tendrils of darkness surrounded her as lightning crackled maniacally across the stormy skies that represented her psyche. A glutinous, stifling cloud of blackness threatened to envelope her in its suffocating embrace; she refused to surrender. Bright, silver agony raced through her mind even as she battled. Again and again, she fought off the evil, all-encompassing fog around her, until she could fight no more, until her very marrows were exhausted. _

_Then, she felt a vise-like grip trap her mind in its hold, taking over her will and her body. Slowly, it sent a thin stream of consciousness through her mind, exploring all her secret and private memories, taking in her worst fears and nightmares. The grip tightened, and she found herself doing _things _that she normally would not even have thought of, much less act out. Walled up somewhere in the corner of her mind, her consciousness realized what was happening and tried to break free, but all to no avail. _

_Sobbing silently, she gave up and begged for released from the torment. She could no longer stand watching what the evil presence was making her do with her body, so perverse and disgusting they were that the hardest soldier would have flinched upon seeing it. Her actions sickened her, but the evil presence just laughed tauntingly and forced her to watch some more. _

_Dawn broke. A few hours had passed, and she was moaning and wailing uncontrollably, her sanity almost gone. A few more minutes and it would have been over. Just as she neared the breaking point however, the evil presence faded and retreated out of her mind, no doubt because it wanted to keep her mind whole for some other time. But by that point in time, she did not care, could not care, could not even form a coherent thought as darkness took hold. _

_-LS-LS-LS-_

Shuddering, Liritia wrenched her mind from the memory with a cry of deep anguish. Blindly, she stumbled from the rock she had been perched on and ran away, as fast as her long legs would carry her, away from the pain, away from the memory of the attempt at influencing her mind.

"'Ritia!" A shocked outburst sprang out from the usually reticent Kerrayrlia. Numbly, she stared after her best friend's fast disappearing figure. Then, as snow fell more heavily, swirling with the wind, she came out of her trance.

It was not because she had overcame her shock; it was because another _thing _had happened to shock her again. _Thwack! _A snowball, hard and packed tightly, had hit her left hand, exactly at the spot where her wrist was. Swiftly, she turned around, her shocked expression melting into a blank mask even before she saw the thrower.

She fought to maintain her blank mask when she saw who the thrower of the snowball was, but it was quite difficult. Golden hair speckled with snow flashed in the dull morning light and grey eyes sparkled cheerfully. "Good morning, Kerri," a polite greeting emerged from Zarien, at odds with his mischievous expression and actions.

Yet, it was not the playful actions of Zarien that surprised her, for she had known all along that he could be as playful as he was serious at times. Rather, it was the person walking next to Zarien that drew out a mental gasp. Long, dark auburn hair streaked with silver framed a triangular face covered with stretched out flesh and piercing hazel eyes drew Kerrayrlia's attention away from the prominent high cheekbones and the lean, wiry body of the middle-aged man.

_Havens, that's Bard Stefen! The lifebonded of the legendary Herald-Mage Vanyel Ashkevron. Famous as he is, he's rarely seen at Havens...I wonder why he's with Zarien. _But her face betrayed none of her surprise or delight at seeing the most famous living Bard. Instead, she returned Zarien's greeting with an inclination of her head. "Good morning to you too, Zarien, Bard Stefen."

The famous Bard nodded at Kerrayrlia and inquired, "You know me, Trainee - ?" "Kerrayrlia, Bard Stefen." She twitched her lips slightly in what might have been a small smile. "And no, Bard Stefen, I have never seen you before, but I am sure that the entire population living in Havens have heard of you, and would know you simply by virtue of your looks." She did not mention the fact that Bard Stefen's fame existed, at least in part, because of his lifebonded and the work he had undertaken in said lifebonded's name. Vanyel Ashkevron. The last Herald-Mage, who had died even before Kerrayrlia was born. Kerrayrlia might not be the most tactful of all people, but she did know better than to mention the long-dead Vanyel to his lifebonded.

Stefen laughed. "Well, that's probably an exaggeration, but it sure does flatter." He paused, then continued with some hesitation. "Trainee Kerrayrlia, may I ask what happened to that Healer Trainee just now? She seemed to be...in distress..." He trailed off when he noticed that Kerrayrlia's expression of cool blandness had hardened almost imperceptibly. Trying not to stare at the striking Bard, Kerrayrlia wondered if she should continue the conversation, or if she should leave Stefen and Zarien to their walk. She did not feel like talking about Liritia's "distress" to anyone, since she herself did not know the cause of it. Moreover, she was, by nature, an extremely private person; as a result, she did not think that Liritia would appreciate having her behaviour remarked upon behind her back since she herself did not like it when others did it to her.

Before she could open her mouth to say anything however, she was saved having to do so by the sudden appearance of a young page. "Milord Bard Stefen." He panted a bit, round eyes wide with exhaustion. "The King requires your presence in Council. A situation has occured…" The young child trailed off, still panting.

Stefen narrowed his eyes with worry. "Do you know what the nature of the situation is, boy?" Eyes wide, the child shook his head. Without waiting for further prompting, Stefen turned in the direction of the Palace and started off in a trot. He called back to Zarien, " 'Rien, we'll continue our conversation some other time, alright? Send my regards to your father…" The voice faded as Stefen got further and further away from them.

Kerrayrlia turned to the page. "What's going on, child?" Her voice, usually cold and aloof, had unknowingly gentled. The young page smiled up at her. He had finally stopped panting, but was still recovering from what must have been a long search in the grounds. "I, I don't know…milady..." He faltered. Then, without another word, he started to run off again.

She felt a hand land softly on her shoulder and stiffened. Whipping around, she saw that it was just Zarien and relaxed slightly. But she still couldn't keep from repressing a shudder at the thought of a male standing so close to her. Zarien must have felt something, because he immediately took his hand away.

"I do apologize for my presumptious expression of familiarity, Kerri. For one moment, I thought you were just another friend." Unspoken were the thoughts that he had forgotten that she was uncomfortable around males. Kerrayrlia took a deep breath and managed to answer without her voice trembling.

"It's all right, Zarien. But do you know what's going on? The summons from King Treven sounded urgent." Zarien met her eyes and shrugged. He replied truthfully, "I don't know, but whatever it is, it's sure to be serious." Kerrayrlia just nodded. Was Valdermar going to face another series of dangers? The last time Valdermar had faced a threat, it had taken the death of Herald-Mage Vanyel Demonsbane to save her. But there weren't anymore Herald-Mages in Valdemar. Would they survive if another wave of darkness threatened to invade and drown out the brilliant spark that was Valdermar?

Kerrayrlia decided not to worry about it. There was nothing she could do about it anyway, and worrying accomplished nothing. Instead, she focused on another question. "How are you related to Bard Stefen? You seem to know him very well."


	4. Cracks in the Mask

**Author's Notes: **

**Disclaimer: Everything you may recognise in this fanfic belongs to Mercedes Lackey.**

**Chapter 4 **Cracks in the Mask

Zarien started. He gazed into Kerrayrlia's ice blue eyes curiously and was surprised into a smile. He had not bothered to shield his sense of Thoughtsensing, one of the abilities linked to his powerful Mindspeech Gift, and her thoughts behind her change of subject had leaked over to him. After ruefully remedying that lack, he wondered absently about his teacher's reactions if he ever heard about this. _Knowing Heryon, I'd probably be given a severe tongue lashing..._

Then he turned his mind to Kerrayrlia's thoughts on the subject of worry. She was quite right, of course. Worrying did not help at all. _At last, _his Companion snorted. _I've been trying to tell you this for ages and you've only realized it now. Oh, what a blockhead I've Chosen. _Hiding his smile, Zarien replied, _Well, what does that say for the Companion who Chose the blockhead then? And they say Companions are supposed to be wise…_

Dorilynn mock-glowered at her Chosen. _Just for that,_ _I am _not _going to shield tonight. With your extremely strong Mindspeech abilities, you know you'll hear me no matter how you try to block .Then we'll see how well the aforementioned blockhead can sleep with a Companion singing away loudly in his head, hmm? _Zarien raised mental hands in surrender. _Please_, _not that, sweetling. The last thing I need is a Companion singing in my head _tonight_. I have to attend that party with Father tonight, remember?_

Zarien stopped the conversation when he realized that Kerrayrlia was staring at him, considering that her normal expression was one of pleasant blankness. A hint of challenge was barely perceptible in her eyes, but Zarien, trained in reading people, noticed it. _Yea gods, she probably thinks I am evading her question. _He almost laughed, then reminded himself that although Kerrayrlia was a friend he had known for a year, she was not a close friend. She could not have been on the receiving end of too many incidences where Heralds and Heraldic-Trainees went blank suddenly, since she had few Heraldic friends. And he did not need to break this friendship by laughing at her.

So, Zarien explained gently. "Sorry for blanking out like that, Kerri. I was speaking to 'Lynn." Kerrayrlia narrowed her eyes almost imperceptibly. "Your Companion?" Zarien nodded and continued with a crooked grin. "And in answer to your question, Bard Stefen is a friend of my father." So saying, he then proceeded to tell her the story of how his father had befriended Stefen, in the days after the death of Vanyel Demonsbane.

Zarien was an eloquent and gifted story-teller and _that_ story had been a funny one indeed. By the time he had finished his story, he had managed to startle a few laughs from Kerrayrlia, something which he considered a tremendous accomplishment. He had Sensed a few times that Kerrayrlia was not entirely comfortable around him, and he had decided to do something about it, simply because Kerrayrlia _was _a friend he'd like to have.

Eyes shining with almost hidden delight, Kerrayrlia commented, "That would make a good song, Zarien. Oh, if only I could meet your father or see Bard Stefen again! I could get more details from them!" Seeing Kerrayrlia's delight, Zarien had a sudden impulse. He began to restrain it, then thought, _Why not? _

Clearing his throat, Zarien cautiously asked, "I could arrange that, Kerri. Would you like to come with me to a party that Father's organizing tonight?" For a moment, surprise broke through Kerrayrlia's mask. Then, her control came back, and she asked coldly, "Is that the only reason for your invitation?" Coming from someone else, Zarien would have snapped back in a small display of temper and turned away immediately, but he could Feel Kerrayrlia's yearning through her mask. She yearned for something; for the invitation to be a sincere gesture of friendship, rather than what she feared it was; an invitation with hidden motives.

Zarien was also Gifted with Empathy and it was a strong gift at that. Thus, he could Feel and understand Kerrayrlia's feelings clearly. At first, he was a bit surprised at it, then angered. Such lack of trust meant that Kerrayrlia had suffered some sort of betrayal in the past; he was angered that anyone would do such a thing to the young girl of barely twelve she had been before she came to Havens. Certainly no one could have hurt her after she entered the Bardic Collegium, he was sure that the Master Bards would have noticed and put a stop to it.

But he let none of his feelings show as he laughed lightly and said, "Well, I must admit to having an ulterior motive." He Felt Kerrayrlia's avid disappointment at this confirmation of her worst fear and almost winced. Quickly continuing, he said, "I had hope to take advantage of your beauty by asking you to be my escort. That way, I would be the envy of all those court dandies." He raised his eyebrow and asked, "Well, Dark Princess, will you grant me my wish?"

The moment the words came out of his mouth, he cursed himself mentally. Whatever in the world had made him say _that_? True, he had taken to calling her that mentally, in view of her coolness that bordered on regal aloofness, but nothing, nothing should have possessed him to let it slip. Not even all the tortures that Dorilynn could devise and put him through should have prompted him to say that..._Oh, what a fool I am! Saying that to a girl who's already wary of men… If she decides to slap me now, I won't even attempt to evade her._ He could even hear Dorilynn's mental snicker in his head.

Yet Kerrayrlia surprised him once again. She lifted her head and looked searchingly into his face with her large blue eyes, then said softly, "I would be…glad to attend the party. And I don't mind you taking advantage of me in that particular way... Where is it to be held?" Immediately, Zarien heaved a mental sigh of relief. He thanked the gods silently before replying, with a grin, "Well, I'll come to your room to collect you at, say, seven? Is that all right?"

Kerrayrlia nodded once, then frowned. "What am I supposed to wear?" Zarien almost laughed at the remark. So, no matter how cool Kerrayrlia seemed to be, she was still a young girl. It was nice to know that some things were universal. _I shouldn't really be surprised. For Havens sake, 'Lynn's a Companion and _she _still preens every time she sees a handsome stud. Don't you, darling?_

The last remark prompted a mental kick from Dorilynn. Ignoring it, Zarien said, "Don't worry, you can wear anything. Your Trainee uniform, your Formals, a gown, anything. Just as long as you don't turn up wearing rags, I won't mind. Havens, even if you turn up in rags, you'll still be beautiful."

Upon hearing that compliment, Kerrayrlia graced him with a smile. Then, a small wicked gleam entered her eye, and she said, "I don't have that poor a taste, Zarien. But, I am not sure if you'll have anything to wear by the time your teacher's done with you. D'you know that the bell went off some time ago?"

Zarien stared at Kerrayrlia with chagrin. Then, he cursed softly. "Horseturds, it's my Religions lesson now! It slipped my mind completely! I have to go, see you later, Kerri." With a final crooked smile, he raced off, leaving Kerrayrlia alone with her thoughts.

First of which was, _Why did I agree to go to the party? I never did like crowds. Did I agree to go only because I would have a chance to get the details of the story out from Zarien's father? I _know _I want to compose a song on that story, but are there any other reasons? _Vaguely surprised, Kerrayrlia tried to analyze her feelings methodically and thoroughly, but it was difficult. For one thing, it meant that she had to admit to herself that her actions were very unusual. And the reason behind that could only be, _Hellfire, I was charmed by that mesmerizing smile of his. That's the only explanation. If 'Ritia knew of this…_

Her thoughts trailed off as she thought about Liritia. Whatever was in the song prompted her anger, Kerrayrlia knew that it was serious. _I had better look for her, and if needs be, apologize to her. _She shivered, then realized that it had been almost an hour since she came out to the gardens. Striding off towards shelter, she told herself sternly to pay more attention to the comforts of her body. _If I fall sick because of such idiocy, 'Ritia would never forgive me._


	5. Torment in torrents

**Disclaimer: Any element of the story you think recognise belongs to Mercedes Lackey, but the characters in this chapter are all mine.**

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**Chapter 5 Torment in torrents**

Kerrayrlia knocked on the plain wooden door hesitatingly. What should she do if Liritia was still angry with her? Would Liritia refuse to speak to her? She had been very shocked at Liritia's outburst today, more so because it came from the normally soft-spoken and gentle Liritia. Her conversation with Zarien had almost put Liritia out of her mind, but it all came back vividly to her now, the anger and underlying fear in it almost overwhelming her.

The door creaked open slowly. Liritia's smooth oval face came into view, marred by lingering streaks of tears. _Goodness! Oh, poor 'Ritia…_As Kerrayrlia started to voice her concern, Liritia made a small pleading gesture with her hand. "Please," she whispered hoarsely. "Not in the hallway." Kerrayrlia took the hint immediately and stepped into the plainly furnished, albeit comfortable room.

Unsure of herself like never before, Kerrayrlia slowly sat in one of the hard-backed chairs accompanying the pine desk. Liritia had curled up on her bed as soon as the door was close, an action which spoke volumes. _Oh,_ w_hatever have I done to her...it's hurting her so much. Oh gods, I'm so sorry, 'Ritia. I never meant to hurt you. _Thoughts however, did not translate easily into words; at least, not for Kerrayrlia.

"'Ritia, I…I apologize…" Kerrayrlia groped around for the words that would express what she felt, but came up with a blank. She had, after all, never been good with words; it was one of her many failings that had caused much friction between herself and her father. Snarling silently, she started to try again, but was cut off with a small shake of Liritia's head.

Straightening slightly, Liritia reached out and took hold of Kerrayrlia's hands. She whispered, "It's not your fault, Kerri. I, I am the one who should be sorry for running off like that…I know you don't mean any harm…" Liritia's eyes clouded. She stared unseeingly into blank air; the expression on her sweet face anguished enough to break the heart of the hardest mercenary.

Kerrayrlia's hands twitched slightly, her only gesture of discomfort. Just as she was wondering if she should leave, Liritia's hazel eyes focused on her again. "I'm sorry…it's just that…I've never told this story to anyone except the Dean, no, not even to the other Healer Trainees. The story is…painful…but I'd like you to know... to know about it. Please." Her eyes pleaded softly what she did not put into words; her need for someone to talk to. Kerrayrlia nodded and moved her chair closer to the bed, to offer Liritia whatever comfort she could.

"Thank you, Kerri...thank you so much." Liritia's gaze was warm; Kerrayrlia felt a rising joy at that sight. She would have given much to get that look back into Liritia's eyes. Yet, even as she thought that, Liritia's face took on a pensive look as her gaze turned melancholy. "...before...before I came here...You know that I'm from Rethwellan. But I've never told you why I ended up as a Healer trainee in Valdemar, right?" When Kerrayrlia shook her head in the negative, Liritia continued softly, yet bitterly. "The reason why I escaped across the Border was because my stepfather…he raped me."

-LS-LS-LS-

Kerrayrlia leaned against the door of her room, still in a state of shock. She closed her eyes fiercely as a single tear trickled down her cheek. _No, damn it, I'm not going to cry. I don't _deserve_ the luxury of crying. Oh, 'Ritia my friend, what have I done?_ Liritia had just told her the whole story of how her stepfather had used mind magic to take over her mind and rape her.

He was a mage who had escaped from Karse when they had begun proscribing mages years ago. Valdemar had not taken in any of those escaped mages, and had instead directed them to Rethwellan. Many of them had settled down with the locals. Liritia's mother was just one such person who had been captivated by the lure of the mysterious mages.

At first, all had been well, but when Liritia had turned eleven years old, the mage had started making advances to her. An innocent child then, Liritia refused and complained to her mother about it. Unfortunately, her mother had refused to believe her and even admitted the child's confidence to her new husband. That night, Liritia's stepfather had gone up to her room, take hold of her mind with his magic, and did the unspeakable with her.

_No wonder she became so angry when she detected traces of the Bardic Gift in the playing of my song. She must have felt manipulated! I always use it to influence the audience's mood a bit, to convey my feelings to the audience. Gods, think of the pain that it must have caused her to relieve that…that whole experience again. Oh, what a fool I am!_

Kerrayrlia sagged to the floor, her mask all gone. A horrible sense of guilt weighted her down, even though intellectually she knew that she was in no way at fault. She had not known about Liritia's past, did not know that Liritia would react to the Bardic Gift that way. _Ah, but I never did try to find out, did I?_ A small insistent mental voice kept nagging away at her, that she should have cared more for her best friend, should have cared _enough _to ask, should have…

Just as her emotions were at its highest state of frenzy, a loud thump startled her out of her brooding. Looking up, she could not believe what she saw. A small book was floating above the study desk in frenzy circles, bouncing off the wall at periodic intervals. Kerrayrlia stared openmouthed, then shut her eyes. _This cannot be happening, no, its not real. I am just too tired. Yes, that's it, I'm in shock. Caused by what 'Ritia confided in me. That's it. _Taking huge deep breaths, she calmed herself down and put a clamp on her emotions with a discipline that would have made monks envious.

When she opened her eyes again, the book was resting innocuously on the desk. Kerrayrlia narrowed her eyes suspiciously. There was absolutely no evidence that the book had been floating around just a few seconds ago. Kerrayrlia stood up shakingly and move over to the desk. She glared at the book, then gingerly touched it. It was quite real _and_ solid, so, she had probably stepped out of her dream state, if that was what _that_ was. After examining every inch of it, she convinced herself that what she had experienced was merely a hallucination.

_I must have imagined it. The book was probably just a reflection of my mental state just now…_ Having persuaded herself, Kerrayrlia wiped her face with a small blue handkerchief. When she looked up again, the blank mask was over her face once more. Yet, her mental state was chaotic; she had just realized another implication of Liritia's confidence. Men were just not to be trusted…

-LS-LS-LS-

In his Formal Greys, Zarien looked every inch a striking and handsome young man. The Formals were darker than the usual Trainee uniform, and the shadowy tones contrasted nicely with his slightly tanned skin and even brought out the pale grey of his eyes.

With every expression of confidence, Zarien ignored the curious looks on the face of the other Bardic Trainees and knocked crisply on Kerrayrlia's door. Inside however, he was quivering nervously. _What if she changed her mind? _He Mindspoke Dorilynn anxiously. _Chosen, if she has changed her mind, you can go to the party on your own. It's not as if you have never done it before. _Dorilynn sounded amused.

Before he could compose a retort, the door swung open. Zarien had planned a dozen compliments to say to Kerrayrlia, no matter what she wore and how she looked, but when he saw her, he was struck speechless.

Kerrayrlia was wearing a dress which was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The long, pale blue sleeves of the dress were translucent, deliberately wrinkled and gathered at the wrists with silver ribbons, the dress itself light and diaphanous, just a shade darker than the colour of her eyes. The top of the dress was cut closely to her shapely body and embroidered with silver thread in patterns of swirls and spirals. Around the waist, small tear-drops of dark sapphire were sewn along a V-shaped line. Midnight blue coloured lace formed the collar of her dress, bringing out the deep blue highlights in her rich black hair. Her hair itself was arranged in an artistic disheveled state, with locks of hair sticking out randomly at various places. Everything about her attire served only to accentuate her pale prettiness, down to the dark sapphire stone and silver chain at her neck.

"You look…beautiful, Kerri," he managed in a strangled, tormented voice. Coolly, Kerrayrlia acknowledged the compliment with a nod and gestured to the corridor. "Shall we?" Without waiting for an answer, she swept off gracefully, leaving Zarien to catch up.


	6. Happy Moments

**Author's Notes: This chapter is mainly characterization; the development of Kerri and the introduction of new characters such as Zarien's family members. So, if you want action, skip this chapter...**

**Disclaimer: This is based on work by Mercedes Lackey, some of the details and settings are not original.**

A big thank you to ice-wolf325 for his/her review! (sorry, the underscore btw ice and wolf always gets warped, so I'm using'-'s instead)

To ice-wolf325, this chapter is dedicated to you, hope my punctuation meets with ur standards!

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**Chapter 6 Happy Moments**

"So, you are Kerrayrlia, the lady friend my son often speaks about. I am very pleased to meet you," Lord Marshal Revay Arian smiled. He was a portly middle-aged man who still managed to retain some of the charm that he must have possessed when he was younger. His thinning gold hair was cut short, close to his ears, which gave him a distinguished look. Yet anyone who thought that he was a soft old man was going to be in trouble, Kerrayrlia could see. His flashing green eyes alone told her as much. _This _was a man who would be trouble incarnate if crossed. Kerrayrlia thought that she had finally found the source of Zarien's piercing grey eyes and intense demeanor.

The object of her thoughts was currently the opposite of his usual self. Kerrayrlia thought she saw a blush creep across his face as Zarien protested, "Father, Kerri and I are just that: friends and nothing more. She's a _friend,_ father, a friend of mine from the Bardic Collegium. " Zarien's protest amused Kerrayrlia to no end; it seemed ages ago when she had suspected that Zarien had an ulterior motive… _Then again, he might not want his father to know if he _had _an ulterior motive_. Doubt started to plague her again. _I only came to this party because I had promised that I would. I hope that…I won't have cause to regret that promise._

The party that the Lord Marshal was holding was being held in the garden of the Lord Marshal's townhouse, beneath the night sky spangled with stars. Candles, which were closely tended to by servants, were set all over the garden on intricate metal stands, in order to achieve adequate lighting. Pages dressed in pale blue livery were in charge of serving nibbles to the various lords and ladies in attendance. Ah yes, the lords and ladies. All dressed to the nines in their expensive clothes, each striving their very best to outdo their peers. Yet interspersed amongst the gaily coloured peacocks were pure, magnificent doves who were no less striking in their simple white plummage. Dressed all in Formal Whites, the Heralds, in their simplicity, presented a brilliant contrast to the opulent lords and ladies.

Lord Marshal Revay's words drove her thoughts out of her mind. "She is the first lady friend you've ever brought to a party, my son. The ladies at Court were all starting to wonder if you are shaych." _That _was an interesting development, certainly not something Kerrayrlia had expected given Zarien's devastatingly attractive looks. "Just because I'm not interested in the Court…ah, socialites, Father, does _not_ mean that I am shaych. The ladies at Court have tastes that are just too…refined for me. As for Kerri, she came with me because she is interested in the story between Bard Stefan and you, not because of me or my…meager charms."

"Nicely put, my son. The first part was quite polite, although your last sentence was a bit sharp. We'll make a diplomat out of you yet. As for Kerrayrlia," he glanced at her with an apologetic smile. "I'm afraid I do not have the time to tell you the story now. Get Zarien to bring you along for a visit next time, and I'll make time. Duty calls and I must…interact with the - socialites, as Zarien so nicely put it."

Kerrayrlia nodded and smiled. It was a genuine smile, directly from her heart. The Lord Marshal had made her feel at ease at a party where she was a stranger. Once he was out of hearing however, Kerrayrlia turned on Zarien, eyes barely narrowing. "The Lord Marshal's eldest son…" It was a flat statement, devoid of any emotions, but somehow, Zarien winced upon hearing it. He shrugged, grinned sheepishly and looked into her eyes. "I thought everyone knew. It's not exactly the latest news, you know." He became serious and said, "I'll never inherit anyway, since I'm a Herald Trainee. Somehow, it wasn't that important a fact to mention explicitly to anyone."

Kerrayrlia's eyes softened. She started to say something, when the sound of laughter cut in. Kerrayrlia turned her head and frowned. "I'm sorry; I did not mean to interrupt. But, brother, what you just said seemed so different from what the younger Zarien would say." The laughter belonged to a woman with sleek dark brown hair who looked to be about twenty. Her grey eyes sparkled as she reached forward and tugged at Zarien's Formals. "You look really like a proper Herald Trainee, brother mine, and not at all like the trouble-maker you used to be." Zarien faked being pained for a moment; "Ouch, I'm wounded, 'Rielle. You're embarrassing me in front of Kerri." The lady laughed again, then reached out and gathered Zarien into a hug.

After a moment, they separated. As Kerrayrlia watched them, she felt an unfamiliar pang. When she realized the reason behind that, her jaws almost dropped open. But her self-control was too good for that. _Sweet lady, that was homesickness that I felt! But I haven't felt anything like it since I left home. Sure, I've written letters back to Sofi and Felly, but I've never thought of them much except when I went back to visit them during the Midwinter holidays. I've never been very close to anyone, except Mother, who is dead now…_

With that realization, she started thinking again of her family. She recalled memories of her sisters, kind and cheerful Sofina, cheeky but sweet Fellyna and her little brother, shy Jerwain, who must be nearly six now. Yet the darker facets of her family crept into her mind. Her father, whom she doubted had changed his lascivious habits since she left. Her father's second wife, gullible and petty Leestara, who had by now given birth to a brood of children, despite being married to her father only for five years. _Let's see, Sofi's letter said something about twins; Lena and Stariel, I think. Both are not even one year old, and I haven't seen them before. And of course, there is spoilt, bad-tempered Ceralyce…_

"I've missed you, brother." The lady's soft, warm voice cut into her thoughts. "We've rarely seen you since you became a Trainee. The whole family misses you." Zarien smiled, teasingly. "By the word "family", I assume you mean yourself, 'Rileen and 'Ris, instead of Tanvis, Joserlyn, and the rest of the Ashkevrons, right?" Turning to Kerrayrlia, he grinned. "Sorry to have neglected you for so long, Kerri. This is my eldest sister, Zarielle Arian Ashkevron. She's married to Tanvis Ashkevron, the…let me see, eldest true-born nephew of Herald-Mage Vanyel. And she has been rather preoccupied with her new family of late." The last was said in a mock-whisper, as Zarien winked conspirationally at Kerrayrlia. He gave a small yelp as the lady proceeded to cuff him lightly on the head. Grinning, he turned back to Kerrayrlia. "Sister, this is my friend, Kerrayrlia Lestatras. She is a Bardic Trainee who prefers to be called Kerri."

With a scowl at her brother, Zarielle Arian Ashkevron turned to Kerrayrlia and gave her a smile as bright as her yellow dress. "Isn't he irritating, Kerri? He can be really annoying when he sets his mind to it." Kerrayrlia had half-expected Zarielle to be formal and polite. It would certainly have suited her first impression of the lady, with her elegant full dress and glossy hair pulled into a knot at her neck. Lowering her mask a little, she responded, "Oh, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, Lady Zarielle. Zarien's like that most of the time."

Zarielle's laughter was akin to the sound of the tinkling raindrops. As Zarien mock-glared at both of them, she patted Kerrayrlia on the shoulder and winked. "I'm glad to have meet you, Kerri. Take care of Zarien for me, won't you? He needs a caretaker. To keep him out of mischief" Winking at Kerrayrlia, she drifted away from their group sedately, leaving Zarien spluttering, caught between amusement and exasperation.

At last, he shook his head resignedly. "Since 'Rielle gave birth to little Joserlyn, she has been quite motherly towards my younger brother and me. But I'd never expected her to become a gossip, much less say _that_ to you... It seems that my family thinks you're my, uh, girlfriend."

Kerrayrlia raised her eyebrows at that. _Does Zarien really not have a girlfriend?_ Somehow, Kerrayrlia found that hard to believe. And she could not believe that Zarien's family thought that she was Zarien's girlfriend. _I'm just a Bardic Trainee, not especially pretty or anything. I don't have Court connections and I'm not high-born either. Why would Zarien's family think I'm his girlfriend?_

Shaking her head, Kerrayrlia said uncomfortably, "Why would they think that? Surely they must credit you with better taste than having me as your girlfriend…" Zarien looked into Kerrayrlia's eyes with utmost seriousness, his intense grey eyes sparkling in the candlelight. "You're beautiful, Kerri. You're also intelligent and talented. That combination is enough to make anyone think that I'm smitten with you."

Kerrayrlia shifted her weight almost unnoticeably. However, Zarien caught the gesture and frowned mentally. _What is she thinking? Have I offended her? Maybe I shouldn't have said that; it was too intimate. Strange. I seem to forget myself around her. _"I'm going to take a walk," Kerrayrlia stated abruptly, shocking Zarien out of his trail of thoughts. When she caught sight of Zarien's face however, she softened her expression and curved her lips into a slight smile. "I'm not angry at you, Zarien. There are some things that I need to think through." Zarien heaved a mental sigh of relieve, then nodded slowly. Without another word, Kerrayrlia turned away.


	7. Dark, Mysterious and Evil?

**Author's Notes: Here's some action at last. For those of you who have been waiting for some action/adventure (as I promised in my genre classification), here it is. Hope it's good enough...**

**Disclaimer: Most of the settings, background are Mercedes Lackey's. Only some characters belong to me, like Kerri, Zarien, Liritia...**

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****Chapter 7 Dark, Mysterious and Evil? **

;As she made her way towards a deserted path off the main garden, Kerrayrlia's thoughts resembled that of a whirldwind. She could feel Zarien's eyes on her; imagined that his intense gaze caressed her back... She resisted the urge to turn back to look at him. _That _would certainly be very out of character for her. But then, she _had_ been acting out of character since she arrived at the party. Or more precisely, she had been acting that way since Zarien came to fetch her for the party.

_Could it have been due to what 'Ritia told me before the party? Am I acting strangely because I feel wary of Zarien? _After thinking through all her actions, she decided that that was not the case. Indeed, from what she could gather from her actions, what she felt was the very opposite of wariness.

Kerrayrlia's feet carried her automatically along a side path of gravel and stones as her mind analysed even her smallest gesture. On the left side of the path was the stone walls of the mansion, while the right side was bordered by dark bushes. The oppressive setting certainly suited her feeling of being lost and hemmed in. She thought back to her feelings when she found that Zarien was almost celibate; it had been a mixture of surprise and…what? Relief? _Now, why would I feel relief to known that an acquaintance does not have a girlfriend? What does it matter to me?_

As she continued down the poorly lit path, she pondered the question. She thought of her out-of-character elation when Zarien had praised her supposed beauty. _I'm not one to be flattered just by a compliment, but why did I feel so pleased at Zarien's praise? I should know better than to believe it. Males between the age of fifteen and sixty never tell the truth. _Then, it dawned on her. Or rather, the knowledge hit her with the force of a Companion running at full speed.

She almost exclaimed out loud at that realization! Only years of masking her feelings allowed her to remain quiet. _Bright Havens, I'm attracted to Zarien! _Frantically, she tried to dismiss the notion, trying to find evidence to deny it. But the more she forced herself to recall, the more memories served to confirm the fact. She realized that she had been acting strangely around Zarien for quite some time, and had been letting more of her mask slip each time. _And just now in the Palace garden, he even managed to get me laughing at _something _other than music._

Kerrayrlia almost groaned out loud. She did not need a new complication in her already messed up life. Furthermore, there was no indication that Zarien felt the same way about her as she did him. _I'm _not_ going to make a fool of myself by telling him about my feelings. Nor am I going to get my heart broken that way. I think I will just ignore these feelings…hopefully, this is just an infatuation, and will go away soon…_

She startled a little as she rounded a dark corner into a dimly lit grove. The small, circular grove was surrounded by tall rose bushes around her height. At the far end, she caught sight of three shadowy figures sprawn on the many stone benches in various states of relaxation. Immediately, she shrank back into the shadows and turned to go. She had no wish to interact with any human at that moment.

That changed speedily as she heard a loud low husky voice sneer, "Don't worry, cousin. You can be rest assured that my father will be able to provide you with the mages you need." Kerrayrlia froze. She sneaked back to the corner stealthily. _Mages? There haven't_ _been any mages in Valdemar since Herald-Mage Vanyel died fifteen years ago…_

"I'm not worried about whether your father can keep his side of the bargain, _cousin_. I'm sure that your _resourceful _father will find a way. Rather, I am concerned about the quality of mages that he might provide." The voice was cold, yet silky, the sort of voice that reminded Kerrayrlia of a reptile. She shivered slightly and leaned against the wall near the pathway. _Whatever this mysterious person is planning, it can't be good. I'd better stay and see what I can do. _

So, although Kerrayrlia disliked eavesdropping, she plastered herself to the wall and stayed there. The shadows in the darkened garden seemed to leap and dance menacingly as, for the first time in a long while, Kerrayrlia felt a surge of adrenaline rush through her, followed by a small after taste of fear. She could feel it instinctively; those men were dangerous, they would not hesitate to get rid of her if they found out that she had privvy to their plans. A small animalistic part of her, concerned more with self-preservation than anything else, screamed for her to escape immediately, yet her calm, logical mind immediately quashed that instinct. If those people were planning something with evil intent, she had to stop them. Kerrayrlia did not know where this thought came from, but she did not question it either. Quieting her racing heart, she stilled to listen. The first person had started to speak again. "Be rest assured that the mages whom my father hired are all the best. These mages are the ones who escaped from Karse into Rethwellan; they must have had a certain degree of power in order to do that, dear cousin." The tone of the person implied that any fool would have been able to deduce that.

The silky voice hissed so softly that Kerrayrlia had to strain to hear it. "A note of warning, my cousin. Neither you nor your father are irreplaceable. If you anger me, you may find yourselves in an uncompromising situation." There was a loud thud. It sounded like someone had leapt up from the stone benches onto the hard clay that the grove was paved with. Kerrayrlia was willing to bet her harp that it was the person who had been threatened.

Just when Kerrayrlia thought that things were going to be interesting however, a third voice interrupted. This voice was quite different from the previous two. Where the two voices before had been contemptuous, this voice was diffident and oily. "Please, my lords, calm down. Queen Jisa is shrewd and intelligent and the King is no fool either. If my lords are to succeed in your brilliant plans, we must be careful. I'm sure that no one wants this partnership to end in ruin. Please."

Kerrayrlia could just imagine the third person's placating gesture that accompanied his words. _Lords, what a flatterer that person is. His status must be lower than that of the other two. _In Kerrayrlia's experience, one did not waste time flattering subordinates; flattery was usually reserved for one's superiors.

Yet, the first person immediately sat down, as evidenced by the thump on the stone bench. It seemed that the person did not want to risk angering the third speaker. Kerrayrlia's confusion at this was immediately resolved when the chilly voice resumed the conversation. "Of course, Baron Monthallen. For the sake of our greater goals, I'm willing to put aside personal differences. But tell me, how much gold can you provide for our cause?"

The third person addressed as Baron Monthallen then named a sum that nearly made Kerrayrlia's eyes pop out. How could any single person posses such a large amount of money? Her eyes bulged out further as Baron Monthallen continued. "I'm willing to provide all this money and more as long as my role in this is not revealed and I receive the benefits you promised; half of them upfront and the other half after the Queen has been…disposed of." The second person laughed coldly. "I always keep my promises, Baron. And I'm willing to add in a bonus if the Queen dies in the process."

Kerrayrlia stared blankly at the starry skies, wondering if her hearing was impaired. _They are planning to _dispose of_ the Queen? Great gods, what have I stumbled into?_ Another thought struck her as she recovered slowly from her shock. She was in great danger. She had no doubt of what those men would do to her if they found that she had been listening to their secret conversation. Anyone capable of laughing while planning cold-blooded murder would not hesitate to kill a young Bardic Trainee. A single word to describe the person crept into her mind: Evil.

Kerrayrlia started to step forward from the wall slowly. She had managed to steal away from the dark corner, sneaking off back in the direction where she had come from, when she suddenly stiffened and froze in mid-step . Standing in her way was a huge, shadowy figure. The figure hissed, "Not so fast, little girl. Don't you know that eavesdropping is impolite?"

Eyes widened in terror, Kerrayrlia took two steps back involuntarily. Nervous sweat was dripping down her face and plastered her fringe into her eyes. As she raised her hand to brush the fringe away from her face, the shadowy figure lunged at her.

Unable to see clearly in the gloom, she blindly tried to sidestep the attack, but tripped and fell sideways. Thud! A sliver of pain crept up her right arm. Although the earth she landed on was soft enough to cushion most of the impact of her fall, but it did not prevent her from feeling the blinding agony lancing through her limb. Trying to get up, she was disposed of the notion by the kick the shadowy figure aimed at her…


	8. Will Kerri see Dawn?

**Disclaimer: Story background and settings belong to Mercedes Lackey but most characters are mine, except Bard Stefan, King Treven, Queen Jisa and the Ashkevrons. The plot so far is solely mine.**

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**Chapter 8 Will Kerri see Dawn? **

Rolling to her left, Kerrayrlia evaded the blow. She tried to leap to her feet, but unfortunately, the gown she was wearing did not encourage such misuse. The train of her floor-length gown snagged on the bushes on the right and Kerrayrlia stumbled.

Taking advantage of her distraction, the shadowy figure darted forward quickly and caught hold of her arms in an iron grip. "Let's see where you're going now...little one." The person laughed cruelly. The voice was distinctly male, a detached part of Kerrayrlia took note. The rest of her brain however, was busy dealing with the bolt of fear that jolted through her at the promise of danger in that voice.

Dragging her up by sheer force, the shadowy figure pinioned Kerrayrlia's arms behind her back, no doubt thinking that Kerrayrlia was subdued. The next moment however, he grunted with pain as Kerrayrlia delivered a backwards kick to his knee. Unfortunately, his grip on her did not loosen in the slightest. After cursing her a few times, he moved to tie up Kerrayrlia's hands with a thick rope. Then, when Kerrayrlia started to scream, he plucked a handful of the leaves from the bushes and stuffed them into her mouth, effectively gagging her.

Struggling all the while, Kerrayrlia was soon hauled into the grove. Candles set into candle-holders on the outside of the building overlooking the grove flickered dimly. Kerrayrlia's heart filled with hope briefly on seeing the windows overlooking the grove; hope which was soon squashed by the absence of lights in any of those windows. Doubtless, the three plotters had chosen a place where no one could have overheard their conversations.

Three stone benches squatted on the far side of the grove. On three sides, towering bushes rose high into the sky, effectively screening this particular cul-de-sac from the rest of the garden. Kerrayrlia's shoulders sagged slightly as she realized that no one would notice her plight, even as she squinted to take in the features of her captors. Unfortunately, the light cast by the candles fell way short of their faces. Vaguely, she could make out that the man sitting on the middle bench was rather tall, but that was all she could see. When he spoke, it was in the cool, smooth voice that Kerrayrlia identified as belonging to the cold-blooded would-be murderer.

"Now, what have we here? Derrik, explain." Kerrayrlia felt the pressure on her hands disappear as the previously shadowy figure let go of her hands. She knew better than to try to escape however; the person who had caught her was highly skilled. _If only I had my sword with me... As it is, I don't stand a chance._

The figure behind her took a few steps forwards, until he was slightly to the right and front of Kerrayrlia, and a few feet in front of the speaker. Then, facing the speaker, he dropped on one knee and bowed his head. "I found her eavesdropping by the side path, my lord." The lord hissed in displeasure. "And how did she came to be at the side path? You were supposed to be guarding it."

Half of the figure in front of her was kneeling in the shadows. From what Kerrayrlia could see, he was clothed in dark grey leathers. Through the material, his muscles bulged firmly. Even though he was kneeling, Kerrayrlia could see that he was hulking and tall. Yet the imposing figure in front of her actually _squirmed _when he heard the lord's question; it was almost comical to behold. He bowed lower, if such a thing could be possible.

However, when he spoke, his voice was clear and strong. "I stepped away from my duty post for a few minutes, my lord, to… answer a call of nature. She must have entered then. I… did not think to check the path for intruders until just now. I have no excuses, my lord."

The lord snarled. That was the only word Kerrayrlia could think of for that half-bestial sound. "You stepped away from your duty post. Perhaps you would like another taste of what Simon can give you? You may report to the torture chamber tomorrow." Each syllable was delivered slowly, with a bite to every word. By the end of the dialogue, the tremors in the muscled man had increased drastically. His voice actually trembled as he gasped, "To the...torture chamber?"

With great effort, the muscled man pulled himself together. "I hear and obey, my lord." Kerrayrlia shivered inwardly. She could see that the lord was a person to be feared just by Derrik's reactions alone. She shuddered at the thought of such a person having total control over her fate.

As if the lord could read her mind, he suddenly addressed her in silky tones, "You present me with something of a quandary, girl. If memory serves me correctly, you are a Trainee in the Bardic Collegium. Now, I'm sure they would investigate if you were murdered. If, on the other hand, you suddenly disappeared…without a trace..." Kerrayrlia stood stock-still in the ensuing silence, aware that her very fate rested on his words. The small part of her mind still rational wondered absently about the lord's recognition of her, but the rest of her was filled with terror.

This was her worst nightmare come true – her whole destiny lying in the hands of a _male_. Somehow, even the flickering stars in the skies seemed dimmer to Kerrayrlia. _Will I live to see tomorrow's dawn?_ A low, husky voice broke through the quiet of the night. Not quite condescending, the person on the lord's left spoke. "Why don't you leave her to me, _my lord_? After all, you should not be doing such _menial_ tasks. And such radiant beauty should not be wasted, don't you think?"

The cold voice was arrogant and icy. "Very well, cousin. I know that your tastes run towards...force and unwilling victims. I shall leave you here to your pleasures. However, Derrik will stay to see that whatever's left of her shall be disposed of." With that, the lord swept from the shadows towards the only exit, with Baron Monthallen following closely behind. Derrik also left, presumably to take up his post once again at the small side path that he should have been guarding.

Unfortunately, by that point in time, Kerrayrlia was too consumed with terror to take any note of the identity of the lord who had coldly left her to the tender mercies of his cousin. She stared with half-concealed fear at the man who stepped out from the shadows. He was not a tall man, nor one even remotely huge, but somehow, at that moment, Kerrayrlia felt completely dwarfed. Her hands hopelessly tied up, she tried to hurt the dark haired man by rushing him, aiming her head at his soft stomach.

The man just laughed in his low, throaty voice. With a backhanded slap, he sent Kerrayrlia sprawling on the ground. "Manners, girl, manners. I like my women subdued...eventually. You will enjoy the experience more if you give up fighting. After all, you wouldn't want to die a virgin would you?" Anger momentarily replaced Kerrayrlia's fear. What did this man think she was? She was no man's toy to do with as he wished; she, Kerrayrlia, would not give up or surrender. Not to this man, not to any male. Ever.

With that thought in mind, Kerrayrlia rolled to her feet and aimed a kick at the man. The kick connected with the man's dark green breeches with a loud thud. The man let out a muffled groan, but with more strength than Kerrayrlia would have believed possible, delivered a blow to Kerrayrlia's head that knocked her onto the ground.

Before she could recover, the man had her pinned down with one hand. His other hand, however, was busy too, caressing Kerrayrlia's small, round breasts. When Kerrayrlia felt his hand groping her through her clothes, she let out a mental wail filled with the anguish that she could not express out loud.

When the man started ripping away the sleeves of her gown however, something in Kerrayrlia snapped. All of her fear and terror in its entirety broke through her emotional barriers thoroughly. Against the waves of the whitest fear and deepest terror, Kerrayrlia's thoughts were drowned out. In its place were the emotions that she normally repressed, avid terror, uncontrollable anguish and an undercurrent of pure, unadulterated rage.

All these were combined into one whirling maelstrom of emotions. By now, all of her awareness had disappeared under the waves of emotions. She had not blacked out, rather, her thought processes had been shunted off to one unimportant side of her brain. Screaming mentally, Kerrayrlia lashed out at anything and everything around her…


	9. Heralding Darkness

**Author's Notes: At last, I've found time to upload this chapter! I've been BUSY with school work and exams lately, so this chapter being uploaded is a MIRACLE!**

**A big thank you to all reviewers out there! Your support is what kept this story going:**

**Replies:**

**Hping - Thanks so much for ur prompt review!**

**dustigrey143 - Here's the answer to ur request. But there'll be more suspense, so u'll have to read on to find out what happens to her in the END. Referring to the word 'strong', if u meant her Gifts, Gifts do develop suddenly when the potential Herald is in danger. Rarely, but it does occur. Thanks for ur feedback, but I didn't really planned for there to be a conflict btw Zarien and Kerri...**

**Cataluna Avalon - Hi, Cata. Thanks for ur praise and encouragement! That'll at least keep me going for two more chapters, thanks so much! Hope I've updated soon enough for u. :)**

**Sorry for my long-windedness. Now, on to the story...

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**Chapter 9 ****Heralding Darkness**

Kerrayrlia vaguely realized that the man had finally stopped pawing at her. But in her current state of less than semi-awareness, that did not mean anything at all. Grey, bulky objects seemed to be floating around, but Kerrayrlia took no notice of them, so locked up in her emotional state she was.

Still awashed in a haze of emotions, she blinked unfocused eyes slowly. Looming before her seemed to be a pair of blurry light blue eyes. Then, Kerrayrlia heard a voice addressing her mentally. _Dearest Kerrayrlia, my name is Rannael and I Choose you. _

Unconditional love enfolded Kerrayrlia in its comforting blanket of warmth. Through the fog of rage and terror, she somehow felt its soothing presence. _I'll never be lonely again… _Dimly, she thought she heard someone call her name out loud as her emotions drained away and she slowly floated into unconsciousness…

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Zarien stared after Kerrayrlia ruefully as she made her way towards a small path off the main garden. They had been enjoying themselves, of that Zarien was sure. And Kerrayrlia had even graced the party with a smile a few times; Zarien had felt so close to breaking through her mask. Then, he had put his bumbling foot in.

_Hellfire, why do I have such a big, fat mouth? And to think that Herald Leonal is training me to be a diplomat._ _If this were an assignment, I would get a big, fat zero. _He felt Dorilynn's brush against his mind, offering sympathy. For once, she spoke without her usual gentle sarcasm. _I think you should spend more time befriending Kerrayrlia, Chosen. From what I can see through your mind, she's quite lonely. I think that she's hiding her emotions inside herself._

"And that's not a good thing, because once that barrier holding back her emotions breaks,she will drown in her emotions." _And, 'Lynn, I like Kerri. I think that if she opens up, she'll be a good friend. _

"Speaking to yourself, Zarien?" Startled, Zarien turned to glare at the person who presumed to speak to him in that tone. He rested his eyes on a man dressed in gold and browns, with dark coppery hair and merry walnut coloured eyes. Zarien relaxed and smiled. "You should know Heralds better than to ask that, Tanvis."

"Ah, but do I know my brother-in-law that well? After all, I rarely see him." Tanvis' tone was half joking, half serious. Zarien shook his head with a little bit of irritation. "Another lecture on how I should spend more time with my family? What with my lessons as a Herald Trainee, your duties and Father's duties on the Council and Zarielle being busy looking after little Joserlyn, you should be glad that we even manage see each other."

A half-hearted grin appeared on Tanvis' angular face. "I know, we certainly are busy, aren't we? But I can see that my wife misses you. After all, before we married, she was closest to you, even though she is five years older than you are. My lady has been a bit lonely lately, since my duties prevent me from spending too much of my time with her."

Zarien was surprised at that statement. The idea of Zarielle being lonely; that was a picture that defied imagination. He arched an eyebrow at his brother-in-law. "Aren't you exaggerating, Tanvis? Zarielle has plenty of friends."

Tanvis snorted, his striking features an expression of disgust. "Friends? Those Court butterflies she kept company with are mostly married to various lords by now. Three-quarters of them are no longer even seen in Havens. As for the rest, marriage seems to have changed them for the worst. Incorrigible gossips, the lot of them. Zarielle confided to me that she's bored of listening to idle chatter about various nobles' private lives."

Zarien was troubled by this revelation. _'Rielle didn't show any of that loneliness just now. But then, she's adept at keeping her troubles to herself. It would be just like her, in fact. _He needed time to think over this, but he resolved to find a solution to the problem. Zarielle was his favourite sibling, mainly because she had gotten him out of trouble more than once before he had been Chosen. He smiled a little as he recalled his various antics which had managed to enrage _both_ his mild-mannered parents.

Shrugging a bit, all Zarien said was, "I'll keep that in mind." Then, he changed the subject. "Tanvis, can you tell me what happened today? Why was Bard Stefan summoned before the Council?" That question had been nagging at him since Stefan had left so hurriedly that morning.

Tanvis' expression became somber and slightly worried. He sighed, "I don't know if I should tell you this… Oh well, it's going to be all over Court soon, anyway. Do you know about our Queen's parentage?" Zarien frowned. What was wrong? He slowly answered, "All of Valdemar knows that Queen Jisa is the illegitimate daughter of King Randal and his lifebonded, Shavri. Is there a problem with that?"

On hearing that, Tanvis' sighed again. "That's where the problem lies, Zarien. It turned out that the Queen isn't King Randal's illegitimate daughter. She is actually the daughter of Herald-Mage Vanyel and the previous Monarch's Own Herald, Shavri. Bard Stefan confirmed the fact today."

Zarien's jaws dropped. How could this be? His quick wits however, had gone on ahead without him. While he was still recovering from the shock, his brain had already mapped out the far-reaching consequences of such a revelation. This revelation would put Queen Jisa, who was also Monarch's Own Herald, out of succession. This would change rock the security of the throne, since the royal pair had no heir. This meant that there was room for nobles on King Treven's collateral lines to inherit should anything happen to King Treven. _And some of the tradition-minded old nobles may decide that Queen Jisa should not _be _Queen. After all, they only supported the marriage because of Queen Jisa's parentage...The unscrupulous ones may even take matters into their own hands…_

Gravely, Zarien told Tanvis of his conclusions. He watched as Tanvis' eyes widened with surprise. "You surprise me, Zarien. That was the set of conclusions that the Lord Marshal, Seneschal and I came looks like your father is right. You would make a good diplomat."

Zarien shook off the praise, still troubled. He was too much a Herald to not feel worry over this state of things. After all, the main purpose of Heralds were to serve Valdemar and its King. Yet, something nagged at him. "Tanvis, how did this information became known? Surely the Queen wouldn't have announced it now; fifteen years after the death of Herald-Mage Vanyel and King Randal."

Before Tanvis could reply however, Zarien gasped and doubled over. He had heard a mental wail so loud that his head felt as if it was spilt into two. "What happened? Are you all right?" Zarien shrugged off Tanvis' concerned hands. "Something...bad...has occurred." By the time he reached the end of the sentence, he was already racing towards the small path off the main garden.

For that was where the source of that wail was from. He did not pause to consider the implications of this sudden, strange use of Mindspeech. The only thoughts in his mind was that Kerrayrlia had walked away in this direction. _Oh gods, please, don't let anything happen to Kerri, please._ Another loud mental scream pierced his mind.

_Chosen, there's something I have to tell you… _Zarien heard Dorilynn's voice in his mind as his long strides took him towards a dark corner. _Later, 'Lynn, later. _As he reached the dark corner however, he heard the sound of hoofs rumbling behind him. Instinctively, he jumped sideways to his left, crashing into the wall. Eyes wide, he stared as a Companion galloped past.

It was not Dorilynn, of that Zarien was sure. Although confused, he did not waste anymore time, but rounded the corner. Then, he stopped in his tracks as the sight before him completely stunned him.


	10. Dawn Awakenings

**Author's Notes: If you've been following this story, you'll realise that I normally upload about every week or so, but I've decided to upload a new chapter 2day, because it's National Day's eve (There's a half-day off school today)! **

**_Happy 41st Birthday Singapore!_**

**So, replies to the review:**

**dustigrey143 - Thanks for the review, it's nice to know I have a faithful reader. Well, here is the new chapter! Hmm, sounds like u want both action AND characterization! This chapter contains both... Hope it meets with ur expectations:)**

**HeraldKahlan - This website always plays havoc with punctuation, so I hope ur pen name turns out okay. Thank you for the review! If u just came across the story, does that mean you read all previous 9 chapters in one sitting? Wow:)**

**And now, lets put our hands together to welcome... the story.

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Chapter 10 Dawn Awakenings **

The grove looked like something out of a child's nightmare. The three stone benches which heretofore had been resting solidly on the ground were currently swirling in the air around two figures lying prone in the center of the grove. Every so often, one of the stone benches would fly lower and bump against the unconscious person on the ground.

The stone benches were not the only thing in the air however. White, thick candles previously mounted on nearby candle-holders were also dancing around, bright flame flickering through the air around it, like the forked tongues of a demon. Despite the strange scene, Zarien's attention focused almost immediately on a small figure clad in blue lying a few metres away from the unconscious person on the ground and the white horse beside it.

The small figure in blue was Kerrayrlia. Immediately, Zarien sprinted over to her side. Kerrayrlia's gown had been torn in various places; it was now a ruin. Zarien however, was more concerned with her person. Kerrayrlia's eyes were open, but they were not fixed in her usual emotionless gaze. Rather, her winter-sky blue eyes now reflected a haze of emotions that were painful to behold. _Great gods! What happened to her? Oh, Kerri… _He started to bend over her anxiously, but was gently shoved aside by the white horse beside her.

_White horse my foot. That's a Companion, or my name is not Zarien._ Over his anxiety, he watched with no little surprise as the Companion bent his/her head towards Kerrayrlia and caught her eye. _I guess, _Zarien's thoughts faltered a bit, but he plunged on ahead and completed it anyway. _The Companion is Choosing her… _

Dorilynn snapped, a bit irritably. _Of course. That's what I've been trying to tell you just now. You can be so dense, 'Rien. The Companion is Rannael, and he _is_ Choosing Kerrayrlia. Now, snap out of your daze and do something about her. _

Zarien blinked. The rebuke was well deserved; he should get Kerrayrlia to somewhere safe at least. By now, the Choosing was over, and the Companion had stepped aside, albeit still within Kerrayrlia's reach. Softly, he called, "Kerri, Kerri, do you hear me?" He watched worriedly as Kerrayrlia did not respond, her eyes closing.

As soon as Kerrayrlia's eyelids dropped, the objects floating in the air begun to drop. Zarien reacted quickly, his panic overriding his worry, and sprang into action. He dragged Kerrayrlia out of harm's way as her Companion, Rannael, kicked the man lying unconscious on the ground towards the small path. Luckily, the candles had been snuffed out after the fall through air, or the grove would have been in danger from burning.

By then, Tanvis Ashkevron had made his way into the grove. "What in the name of Havens happened?" When he saw Kerrayrlia however, he wasted no more time on questions. Lifting Kerrayrlia into his arms, Zarien ordered, "Tanvis, get the man out of here and put him in a secure place. It looks like Kerri has been attacked." Given the state of her clothing, that was the only conclusion that came to Zarien's mind.

Tanvis moved to follow Zarien's orders. Although he was older by nine years, Tanvis felt that Zarien's orders were logical, and thus chose to follow them. After lifting the unconscious man onto his back, he watched Zarien cradle Kerrayrlia tenderly in his arms with no little amusement. Albeit the serious situation, Tanvis still managed to see the light-hearted side of it, simply because it was not his way to brood over problems which he could not solve.

Zarien was the opposite of Tanvis. He tended to worry away at a particular situation from all angles with an intense single-mindedness until he found the best possible solution. The more important the problem was, the more thoroughly Zarien would analyze and rationalize the problem before deciding on a suitable course of action. And Kerrayrlia was very important to him, so he would find the perfect solution…

_Wait a minute. _Zarien backtracked to his previous thoughts. _Kerri is very important to me, so I will find the perfect solution. Now, from where did _that _thought pop out? _In his mind, Dorilynn sent a mental snicker. _It's natural to have _that_ thought about a person you like, Chosen. _

Zarien almost choked. _What? _After a brief moment of silent disbelief, Zarien Sent back _his_ thoughts. _'Lynn, you take that remark back now. Kerri is injured; please don't joke about such things now. _Dorilynn sobered. The feel of her thoughts had taken on a contemplative tinge as she Mindspoke, _All right, 'Rien. I won't say anything more about it. But if you look within your feelings, you'll find that I'm right. _

A whisper in Zarien's mind told him that Dorilynn's words were quite right. However, Zarien ignored that whisper uncomfortably; he had no wish to delve into another problem now, especially not one that was related to matters of the heart. Brushing all thoughts away, he concentrated on getting Kerrayrlia to a safe place.

* * *

Kerrayrlia stirred from the warm and comforting place she had been. She was one of those people who could make the switch from sleep into wakefulness immediately, so she was deeply shocked by the large, soft bed in which she found herself.

Bolting upright, she stared confusedly at her surroundings. She had been sleeping in a large, comfortable bed with luxurious sky blue silk sheets. The thick, warm blanket which covered her felt smooth and soft against her skin, and Kerrayrlia realized that it too, was made of silk, at least on the outside. The room she was in was two times larger than her room at the Bardic Collegium. Most of its furnishings were luxurious and elegant, from the black marble fireplace to the thick, black carpet on the floor.

"So, you're awake at last, Kerri." Kerrayrlia looked to her right, where the voice had come from. Zarien was sitting with one leg crossed over another in a plush armchair next to the bed. His current expression was torn between worry and joy but the tone of his voice was light-hearted. Kerrayrlia relaxed the tiniest bit. She still did not entirely trust Zarien. Nor, she supposed, did she trust her own feelings about him, since her initial impulse was to throw herself at him and hug him.

"Where am I? What time is it now?" She looked at the large window opposite the fireplace, and saw a faint yellow light appearing in the sky. Her jaws dropped. _Is it dawn already? _Zarien's all too handsome face creased into a frown. He said carefully, "It is dawn now. You are in a guest room in my father's townhouse. Don't you remember what happened to you last night, Kerri?"

Something in the tone of his voice cause Kerrayrlia to frown. Turning her mind inwards, she gasped as the events of the past night returned in full. Tears filled her eyes as she recalled how the man had pawed at her and… She clamped down on the memories, but could not control her emotions. The tattered remnants of the mask which she had used to hide her emotions away could not be repaired. Shaking strongly, she fell back, buried her face in the pillow and wept.

Strong hands were immediately at her shoulders, comforting and reassuring. She felt Zarien shift himself on to the bed. He murmured softly to her, "It's over, Kerri. Everything is alright." On hearing the last sentence, Kerrayrlia wrenched herself from the pillow and turned to face him. "It's not alright! Do you know what that guy did to me?"

Kerrayrlia started to tell Zarien about all that had befallen her last night. By the time she finished, she had broken into heart-wrenching sobs again. Through her tears-filled eyes, she saw Zarien's face contort first with anger, then softened into grief and compassion when he looked at her. After a moment of hesitation, he put his strong, muscled arms around her and hugged her tightly.

At first, Kerrayrlia stiffened. Last night horrors had left her even more distrustful and afraid of males. She did not think that she could ever be near them without recalling what happened last night. And Zarien was undoubtedly a male, one of those creatures who could not be trusted even with their own daughter. Liritia's stepfather had raped her, her own father was lecherous, and the man last night was around her father's age. _I'll never ever trust any male ever again._

But somehow, Zarien was different. Kerrayrlia knew that as soon as she felt his hesitant hands stroking her soft, raven-coloured hair. _Zarien feels different… _She gradually softened and melted into his embrace, all the while still crying her heart out.


	11. Romantic Dawn

**Author's Notes: Hi to everyone still reading this story. I've decided to stop waiting for reviews and upload this, since if I figure if I don't, I'd still be waiting when I'm seventy.**

**Anyway, for those of you who did review, thank you! For those who did not, please start now!**

**Replies:**

**Silverbrilliance - As I've said before (and now I'm saying it again), Zarien just Feels different in Kerri's head thanfrom the others. (You'll find out why in a few more chapters or so :P I love keeping u in suspense. Hint: there are some types of love that creates strongbonds)**

**dustigrey143 - Big big thank you to you for reviewing so many times! Well, getting 'Chosen' is how a person becomes a Herald in Valdemar. A Choosing is the act of a Companion (they look like white horses, but are actually the reincarnated souls of deadHeralds) forming a strong bond with a person (normally around thirteen years old or so). The bond between a Herald and his Companion is so strong that normally, a Companion will follow a Herald into death and vice versa. And I appreciate your comments about the different aspects of my story; it's very useful.**

**This chapter is dedicated to dustigrey143, thanks for all your reviews!**

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**Chapter 11 Romantic Dawn**

After a while, Kerrayrlia's sobs subsided. She lifted her head up from Zarien's lean, muscled chest, where it had somehow fallen to when she relaxed in Zarien's embrace. Looking up, Kerrayrlia saw that Zarien was looking at her intensely. Under the piercing gaze, Kerrayrlia lowered her head, feeling sad and ashamed. _I'm unclean now, defiled by that...bastard. Everyone will look down on me…_

She felt Zarien's hands reach under her chin and tilt it upwards. Catching her eye, Zarien said quietly, "No, Kerri. It was not your fault. There is nothing for you to feel ashamed about. And, Kerri, I swear by the gods that I'll never let anyone hurt you again. Ever." The last two sentences were delivered with a force that surprised Kerrayrlia. She blinked up into Zarien's misty grey eyes, a question in her eyes.

Again, she was surprised by Zarien's respond. He blushed, a red heat creeping up his neck and across his tanned cheeks. Staring determinedly at the bed, he whispered softly, "I… … like you, Kerri." His face had by now darkened to a red not unlike that of a Bard's uniform.

At first, Kerrayrlia bubbled with happiness that could not be expressed. But then, a shadow crossed over her features as she asked Zarien, "You're not saying that just out of pity for me, are you?" Zarien's head shot up as if pierced by an arrow. "No, I mean it, Kerri, I love you." On seeing the doubt that remained on her face, Zarien tried again. "I mean it, Kerri. Damn it, look."

With that, Zarien opened his mind to Kerrayrlia and showed her his feelings for her, feelings which he had not discovered up till now. It had taken his all night vigil beside her bedside, stricken with worry and concern for him to finally realize his love for her. Through his gift of Empathy, he let Kerrayrlia know how important she was to him, and how worried he had been about her.

Kerrayrlia luxuriated wonderingly in the deep feelings that Zarien was showing her. His love was a soft and radiant glow that she basked in, the attention and comfort that she needed; had wanted for so long, since her mother had passed away.

When had he begun to love her, she wondered. For surely the love had been developing for a long time; such strength and depth could not have sprung up overnight. Perhaps it had already started to form when he met her on that fateful day near the river where she had gone to brood. Now, recognized at last, Zarien's love flooded forward in a strong gush not unlike water rushing though a broken dam.

Speechlessly, Kerrayrlia met Zarien's gaze, her eyes filled with joy. Overtaken with exhilaration, Kerrayrlia threw all caution and reserve to the winds. Taking his hand in hers, she let her feelings, built up unsuspectingly over the one year they had known each other, about him come to the forefront. She showed him her love, which was no less strong than his was, by means of the soft, graceful smile that curved her lips.

No words were exchanged, for they needed none, so caught up in each other they were. Reaching forward with his hand, Zarien pulled Kerrayrlia closer to him, tilted her head, and met her soft, pink lips with his own in a lingering kiss.

* * *

At length, Zarien gently disengaged from Kerrayrlia's embrace. His lips were still tingling as he spoke, "Much as I would like to prolong the moment, I'm afraid we have other things to think of, my Dark Princess. And I'm sure your Companion wants to see that you're all right." Kerrayrlia had been staring dreamily at Zarien when he broke off the kiss. She had never been close to any male before, not even her friends. When she heard his last sentence, however, she broke out of her mental fantasies with a start.

"What Companion?" Kerrayrlia questioned. As if that remark jogged her memory, Kerrayrlia suddenly recalled the pair of ice blue eyes that had seemed to speak to her. She had thought that it was part of her dreams after she lost consciousness, and had dismissed it as such. Now, however, it turned out that it had not been a dream after all…

"Don't you remember, love? Your Companion, Rannael, Chose you just before you lost consciousness." Zarien was looking at Kerrayrlia with a worried expression on his face; clearly, he thought that Kerrayrlia had suffered a lapse in memory because of some injury or another.

Kerrayrlia stared at Zarien, an expression of mingled shock and horror on her face. "Me? Chosen?" The full impact of what it meant to be Chosen by a Companion dawned on her. "Won't that mean I have to be a Herald? That means I can't be a Bard anymore!" _No more music! My lifelong dream was to be a Bard and now… _

Kerrayrlia's unshielded thoughts leaked over to Zarien. Her Gifts had developed from the potential that was there when she was Chosen. Although her Gifts were not at their full strength yet, they had started to flower. And it was strong enough that Zarien, who was an excellent Mindspeaker and empath, had no problem picking her thoughts up.

Zarien's first impulse was to reach over and comfort Kerrayrlia, to tell her that it was no big deal being a Herald, that she did not have to worry. But first and foremost, Zarien Arian was a Herald. He was but one year away from getting his Whites, and the training he received had been thorough.

Squashing his impulse, he spoke calmly, "If you really do not want to be a Herald, we can break your bond with your Companion." The moment he said it, Zarien felt regret. Kerrayrlia's shock hit him hard, and waves of longing followed behind closely.

_Break my bond with Rannael? But… _Kerrayrlia recalled the overwhelming sense of love that she had felt when Rannael had Chose her. Did she really want to give that up? Tentatively, she tried to access the place in her head which resonated with the sense of love. _All those stories about Companions being able to speak… _

Despite her mental preparation, however, it came of something as a shock to her when Rannael spoke in her head. _Chosen? Did you call for me? _It took Kerrayrlia a moment to recover, and more than a moment to try to frame a reply without words. It did not occur to her that she had the Gift of Mindspeech; rather, she thought that if her Companion could speak that way to her, she should be able to do the same. _You're really my Companion. _It was a statement, not a question. Generally, Kerrayrlia did not like asking about the obvious.

_Well, yes, Kerrayrlia, _came the amused reply. _Or would you prefer Kerri? _Kerrayrlia found herself replying automatically. _Kerri's fine. What about you? _Rannael gave an amused mental snort. _Companions are not as choosy as humans are when it comes to names. You can call me anything from 'Rannael' to 'Hey, there'. Just as long as you don't call me 'Horse'. _

Kerrayrlia was a bit taken aback. So, that was her Companion. From what she had experienced just now, she would say that they were as similar to a horse as humans were to monkeys. A grin began to blossom on her face, but she clamped her usual blank mask down over it. Surprisingly, her mask came back on with only a little effort. _Still, six years of practice isn't really going to fade away in one night… _And then, suddenly, Kerrayrlia made her decision. _Being a Herald would mean helping people. Hopefully, this means that I'll be able to help other people as lonely as I was._

Out loud, she said coolly, "No, I don't want my bond with Rannael broken. If that means I have give up being a Bard, so be it." With a sigh of mingled relief and sadness, Zarien answered the unspoken question. "Well, being a Herald does mean that you cannot be a Bard, because a Herald's first duty is to Valdemar. But that doesn't mean that you have to give up music. Heralds _are _allowed to have hobbies, you know." Zarien eyes glazed over for a moment, than he spoke again. Or rather, he mindspoke to Kerrayrlia.

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**Disclaimer: I had sort of forgotten about disclaimers. Well, this applies to the whole story. The plot is mine, so are most of the characters, except Jisa, Treven, Stefen, Joserlynand any other characters you may recognise from Mercedes' books. The settings and background and anything about Heralds in general belong to Mercedes.**


	12. Analyzing after Dawn

**Hi! Sorry for the long time taken to update this; I've been very very very busy with revision for tests and doing the pile of homework. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I revise, I seem to do very badly in the tests. Anyway, enough of my personal life, let's continue with replies:**

**Thank you to all reviewers! Yup, reviews are what a writer likes most!**

**Katheen G McCrory - Thank you for ur positive feedback about the storyline, though I must say I planned to make Kerri a Herald from the very beginning. I just took a long time getting to it. Anyway, Kerri doesn't have 'mage powers', i.e, true magic. What she and the other Heralds possess are mind-magic - of sorts.**

**dustigrey143 - You check for new updates almost every day? Wow! I'm very flattered by that :) Now, to answer ur questions, 'open up his mind' means that Zarien is lowering the shields that a Mindspeaking Herald, especially one with such a strong Empathy Gift, normally has, to keep from sensing others' thoughts at all times (to ensure they don't go mad from hearing too many 'voices' at once). And, no, it does not mean that those who don't get Chosen are all Bards. There are three Collegiums in Havens; Bardic, Healer and Heraldic. Heralds have to be very dedicated to protecting the land of Valdemar and the people, so they cannot afford to be any other things (such as a Bard, which Kerri is before she was Chosen). But anyone with the right qualities can be Chosen, not only Bards. **

**Neverfall - No, Kerri doesn't have Empathy. In fact, she is not the most sensitive of people. And yes, she does have Fetching. I hope this chapter sheds some light on your questions. Yes, Kerri is a bit too rational and analytical, isn't she? Haha, she's the opposite of me! Hmm... I hope I haven't cost you your non-sanity (Eeks!) And as for me having more reviews than you, I'm sure you will catch up (if you haven't already):)**

**(my divider ruler tool is not working, so I'm back to using: - LS-LS-LS-)**

-LS-LS-LS-

**Chapter 12 Analyzing after Dawn**

'_Lynn says I should probably tell you that I'm a Mindspeaker; both a Thought-sensor and a Broad-caster. That means that I can speak to you Mind-to-mind, and also that I'm able to sense your thoughts when you're in close proximity to me. And that's because you aren't shielding your thoughts. Even the weakest Thought-sensor would be able to sense your thoughts; you're Broad-casting it very strongly._

A wave of shock hit Kerrayrlia. Mindspeech she could have accepted from Rannael, but from Zarien… As she slowly assimilated the facts that Zarien had given her both outright and undercover, one single fact stuck out. "Teach me how to shield, Zarien!" The thought of anyone sensing her thoughts was unbearable to someone who had kept her feelings hidden behind a mask for most of her life. _Since Mother died in child-birth…_

Zarien hesitated. "I'm not really a Herald yet; I don't think I'm allowed to do this." He cocked his head to one side in a thoughtful pose. "'Lynn says that it's alright. Okay, I'll show you how." With that, he, the strongest Mindspeaker in the entire Herald's Collegium, prepared to literally reach into Kerrayrlia's mind and show her how to shield.

-LS-LS-LS-

Zarien groaned, his mind hazy with pain. _What happened?_ He cracked open an eye, and found himself staring up at the ceiling. As light entered his eye, he groaned again and closed it. Memory started to filter back as he sat up with an effort, still in the comfortable armchair that he had rested in for the whole night. _I was teaching Kerri how to shield…_

As if the thought of her had summoned her, Kerrayrlia's voice broke through the haze surrounding him. "Zarien? Are you alright?" Gingerly, Zarien opened his eyes again, and found that it did not hurt too much. _I'm alright, love. I hope you don't mind me using this form of speech. The other one would hurt too much right now. I've never done this before outside lessons, and I can see why my teacher warned me not to try._

Kerrayrlia frowned. _Did something went wrong? I can feel the shield you taught me to put up, so it must have been a success right?_ Zarien shrugged mentally. _That depends on how you want to look at it, love. The shielding part was okay, but I forgot to withdraw from your mind in time. The backlash of being kicked out of your mind _hurts_. Did you _have _to push me out so strongly, o dark princess? _

Her face was similar to that of an ice statue, cool and expressionless in the light of the rising sun after dawn. Kerrayrlia's mind-voice however, was tinged with embarrassment. _I'm sorry. I should have controlled my instincts. It's just that I'm not used to having people wandering in my mind... _Zarien chuckled. His rich laughter rolled off the walls of the room and was music to Kerrayrlia's ears.

_You'll have to get used to it if we're going to share our minds again, love. You will repay me for that sharing of my mind, won't you, hmm? They say that the experience is an intimate, heady one, only to be experienced by two Mindspeakers. And I hope you don't mind me calling you 'love'._

Blushing fainting despite her self-control, Kerrayrlia decided to ignore the last sentence. Changing the subject, she commented. "Looks like there's a plus side to being a Herald after all. What other powers do you all have?"

Zarien's Mindspeech was thoughtful. _We call the Heralds' powers Gifts and we all have different ones. Many types of Gifts exist, and I'm quite sure we haven't discovered some of them yet. One of the common Gifts would be Mindspeech, which consists of Thought-sensing, the ability to sense other's thoughts and Broad-casting, the ability to send your thoughts to another person mind to mind. Sometimes one occurs without the other, but both of us have both Gifts. _

_As for other Gifts, _here, Zarien paused a while as if considering how best to continue. _Well, I've two more Gifts, a very strong Gift of Empathy and a Gift of Farsight at middling strength. And my Gift of Mindspeech is one of the strongest among Heralds. Normally, Heralds only have one or two Gifts. I guess I'm an exception. _The way he said it was matter-of-fact, with no hint of arrogance at all.

Kerrayrlia blinked a few times. She had never guessed that there was so much to know about the Gifts of the Heralds. _I guess that most of the Bards don't know that much about Heralds. That why most of the songs seem to make the Heralds' powers seem miraculous in its origins. _That got another chuckle from Zarien. After Zarien's laughter died down, Kerrayrlia asked him, _What Gifts do I have then?_

Zarien seemed to be caught between surprise and amusement. His expressive grey eyes looked so comical at the moment that Kerrayrlia had to suppress the urge to laugh. At last, he spoke out loud, his voice wondering. "You know Kerri, I think only you would ask that question in the wake of being Chosen. Most of the other Trainees I know were all too dazed or exhilarated to even think beyond getting to the Collegium. As I recall, I wore a stupefied expression on my face all the way from my Father's estate house to the Collegium here in Havens._ I_ certainly wasn't capable of thoughts."

Zarien paused, then continued thoughtfully, "Well, you are certainly a strong Mindspeaker. And, if the stone benches flying around in the grove is any indication, I think you have the Fetching Gift." Catching Kerrayrlia's questioning glance, he clarified. "That means you can transport things from one place to another by virtue of the strength of your mind." _Ah, _Kerrayrlia told Rannael. _That certainly explains the book flying around above my desk this morning. It seems that I wasn't dreaming after all._

Rannael nodded mentally, _Your Fetching Gift is extremely strong, Chosen. Not many can move stone benches around as if they were pebbles. You also have a mid-strength Gift of Foresight and a hint of Firestarting too. _Kerrayrlia relayed what Rannael said to Zarien. She watched as Zarien's eyes widened with surprise. However, he refrained from commenting, and only said, "I'm sure your future teachers will tell you more about your Gifts."

Then, glancing at the increasingly brightening sky outside, Zarien sighed. "I'm afraid I have to go now. Queen Jisa summoned me a while ago, actually. I hope you don't mind; I asked 'Lynn to tell Taver just now, Queen Jisa's Companion, about the plot you overheard."

Kerrayrlia shook her head. It was what she would have done if she had been in his place. Obviously, the Valdemar and the Queen's safety would come first to a Herald. She did not begrudge the amount of attention that Valdemar got, knowing that she came a very close second behind them in Zarien's heart. "Goodbye, Zarien." Zarien got up, started moving towards the door, and then hesitated. _See you later, love. _He planted a kiss on the cheek of a very surprised but pleased Kerrayrlia.

-LS-LS-LS-

"Jisa?" The soft morning sunlight coming in through the windows illuminated a blond-haired, muscular-bodied figure strode into the room with quick, confident steps. He was nearing forty, although his tanned, unlined face and marvelous figure did not show it. _But then_, Jisa thought. _I suppose_ _it's important for a king to look his best. _

"How are you holding up, beloved? I heard about what happened; Zarien's Dorilynn told my Companion." Jisa, Queen of Valdemar and King's Own Herald, highest in the Heraldic Circle, sighed and looked up from the figure of the Companion on her desk. That had been a toy that her biological father, Vanyel Ashkevron had given to her when she was six years old. She could not recall everything that had happened between both of them, but she knew that Uncle Van had loved her as much as her presumed father and biological mother had.

_I'm okay, Trev. I'm just tired. I'd never expected the fact that Uncle Van was my father to create such havoc. Most of the Council is unhappy about it, and the more radical of them is even angling for my removal as Queen...they probably want you to marry a princess from some neighbouring country, huh. And they've already_ acted_ upon it; I never suspected that even the boldest would plot against me immediately._

-LS-LS-LS-


	13. Dawning of a Lifebond

**Finally, Chapter 13 is up! I got 4 reviews for Chapter 12, which is the most I ever got for a single chapter. Thank you to all reviewers! It really cheered me up, especially after I got back my absymal results for my Physics test. Well, I have one last test next Tuesday, then I'll finally be free! Next week is the last week of school before the one-week holiday for me :)**

**Replies:**

**Neverfall - So, how's your life after your school starts? You must be very busy... I hope you will continue reviewing my stories:) Anyway, as to what the Queen will do, continue reading this chapter to find out!**

**dustigrey143 - Don't worry, I plan to make the story continue for a long long time... At least up to chapter 20, I hope. I'm sure I won't end it that early. Wow, you actually noticed that I used foreshadowing? I've been trying to use all the skills I learn in English lessons in this story, but I was afraid that it wouldn't work. Now that you've mentioned it, that means it did work :) And yes, Kerri is special. Heralds normally have one or two Gifts only. Zarien, having three Gifts, is also quite special. The Gift of Firestarting is something akin in principle to Fetching, just that it involves fire. Kerri can kindle a small fire from nothing with her Gift, but since it is not very strong, she would need something for it to burn on.**

**silverbrilliance - My dividing ruler is still not working, so you'll still see LSes throughout the story. Guess what it stands for? Oh, and those people wants to harm Queen Jisa, because her marriage with the King was not approved of all those years ago. Even Vanyel objected. And obviously, they had certain ambitions of their own, which I will be slowly revealing. Also, the previous king was lifebonded with the current queen's mother. It would be something of a scandal if a lifebonded person slept with another person other than her lifebonded (which is what the queen's mother did, because she wanted a child badly).**

**mugglepirate - hmm, can you guess where I'm taking the plot? Well, you must be a seer, since _I _don't know where I'm taking it. Haha, I guess I don't really plan ahead very far. Still, please continue reading, I guarantee you that the plot will have a few surprises in it.**

-LS-LS-LS-

**Chapter 13 Dawning of a Lifebond **

In wake of his wife's piercing remarks, King Treven was silent. He strode around the desk and began massaging the tension away from Jisa's shoulders. Only when the worst of the trouble spots had been worked out did he reply, _Don't worry, beloved. We'll weed out the plotters one by one. And in case you're doubtful, just let me reassure you that no one will ever convince me to even think about divorcing my lifebonded. Not for wealth, politics or even this throne._

_If only we had a child, Trev. None of the Council members would even dare suggest our divorce if I produced an Heir. _Jisa wistfully looked at the Companion figurine on her desk. She longed to pass it down to her child, even though it was battered and scratched; mementoes of the over-enthusiasm it had suffered at her hands during her wild childhood years. Even then, she had been close to her biological father, revering him yet bantering with him in turns as she would a close uncle.

Treven stroked Jisa's dark, silky brown long hair with his left hand while he continued massaging her with his right one. The courtiers would have been shocked if they knew that he, King of Valdemar, was doing such a menial task, but Treven could not care less about what they thought. Jisa, his lifebonded, was more important to him than anything else was in the whole world, including his throne.

Although Jisa was the one Gifted with Empathy, he could feel her pain through their lifebond. He too wanted to have a child, but his need for one would not lead him to divorce Jisa, especially when the Healers had said there was nothing wrong with her. He was about to say that to Jisa when a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

"That's Zarien. Did you call for him?" Jisa nodded in response. _Yes, I did, darling. I wanted further details about the plot. Dorilynn only relayed the bare outline to Taver. _She spoke in Mindspeech, in which she was much more comfortable, since she had been mindspeaking since six-years-old. _Come in, _she called to Zarien, her mind touching his.

Heraldic Trainee Zarien Arian pushed open the polished maple door and entered the study. Treven studied Zarien for a moment, taking note of his shoulder-length, straight hair that was the colour of early evening sunlight; golden. He had sharp, handsome features and hair that was arranged in a style currently in fashion at court, but Treven could tell that he was no toady or court butterfly by the intelligence evident in his intense mist-grey eyes.

Zarien executed a sharp, swift bow before the royal couple. "Your Majesties." Jisa smiled at his formality and motioned him to a seat. _You don't have to be so formal, 'Rien. After all, I'm one of you teachers and you've certainly goofed around in front of me before. _Jisa was Zarien's teacher in the Gift of Empathy, because there were no other Heralds who had that particular rare Gift.

Seated in a comfortable leather armchair, Zarien's eyes twinkled. "Oh but Your Majesty, I'm certainly not on familiar terms with the King. He may take offense at informality." Treven remarked dryly, "From a future diplomat? I think not. In fact, I'd be grateful for the informality. It's when diplomats are being formal that I have to be wary."

Zarien shrugged off the compliment with a wry smile. So, even the King knew that he was being trained for a career as a Herald-Diplomat. It was not such a big deal, he supposed, considering that he was currently the only one under such training. He turned his attention to Jisa as she frowned, having noticed something.

Switching to normal speech, Jisa said, "'Rien, there's something different about you." Closing her eyes, she reached out with her Gift and tried to determine what was different. Squirming uncomfortably in his chair, Zarien mindspoke Dorilynn, _Do you think she's picking up something about Kerri and me? But I made sure my feelings were under control before I came here, 'Lynn. _

_I do not know, 'Rien. But the Queen _is_ Gifted with Empathy. _Dorilynn was quite serious now. She had approved of Zarien's love for Kerrayrlia without any snide or sarcastic comments. Zarien supposed she might have been waiting too long for such a day, especially since he had not showed any interest in girls at all before Kerrayrlia. _Well, except for that one girl…_

"'Rien," Jisa opened her eyes, her jaws hanging open with surprise. "You're… you're lifebonded." Disbelief shot through Zarien and threaded his voice. "I'm - What?" _Gods, she can't be serious, 'Lynn._ "Teacher-mine, are you sure?" Even as he said that, it dawned on Zarien that the Queen would not have made a statement that she was uncertain about.

The Queen had regained her composure and now smiled slightly. "Trev and I are lifebonded, 'Rien. One who is lifebonded will always recognize another lifebond when they see it. There's no mistake. If it wasn't for the fact that this came so suddenly, I would have recognized it right off." She paused and said softly, "You're the only other lifebonded pair in the three Collegiums besides us since Uncle Van died… Who's the person you're lifebonded to?"

Having recovered slightly from his shock, Zarien managed to croak, "It's Kerri." Now that Jisa had pointed out the lifebond, his feelings for Kerrayrlia begun to make sense. That strong surge of emotions he always felt whenever he saw her… He focused on the Queen again as she asked, "Who's Kerri?"

Zarien shifted in his seat, a bit embarrassed. The dawning of the fact that he was lifebonded was both shocking and embarrassing to him, a person who have had little prior exposure to romance. "She's the newly Chosen Herald-Trainee who used to be a Bardic-Trainee. Her full name is Kerrayrlia Lestatras. She's the one who overheard the plot to dispose of you by the nobles."

Jisa pursed her lips. "I see." She glanced at Treven, who had by now sat down on the third chair in the room, which was conveniently on the opposite side of the desk from her. She included Treven in the conversation. _Trev, do you know anything about our new Trainee? _Treven shook his head slowly, then said, "Wait, isn't Lestatras the family name of the Baron of Jewelta March? It's a small barony near Forst Reach."

The Queen nodded at that information. _The new Bardic-turned-Herald trainee can wait_, she decided. _Dean Probert can deal with her. I have more than enough problems to worry about now. _

"So, this Kerrayrlia is the one who came across the plot. Tell me what exactly happened, 'Rien." Hesitating, Zarien reached out to Kerrayrlia via Mindspeech. Even though she was kilometres away from him, she was still within his range. Silently, he asked and obtained her permission. Then, Zarien nodded crisply and proceeded to tell his King and Queen everything that had befallen Kerrayrlia last night in a detached, emotionless voice.

When he had finished, King Treven's eyes were blazing with anger. "Such criminal activities right under out noses! Jisa, we must nip this plan in the bud immediately." Calming down a little, he said to Zarien coldly, "We will put the man currently in your father's custody under the second stage Truth Spell. He will be forced to tell the truth and will reveal his accomplices. Then, we will take actions against the plotters."

Jisa nodded, her face a blank mask. She had shielded tightly when Zarien started his story, so he did not catch any emotions from her. In a controlled voice, she added, "In four days time, we will question the man. In the meantime, this must be kept a secret, Zarien Arian. Only the Seneschal and the Lord Marshal will witness the proceedings. We do not want to alert the plotters. However, you and Kerrayrlia may attend it, since it concerns both of you."

Zarien nodded soberly. He understood the high stakes involved. The Queen's life was at risk, in addition to the security of the throne. Since the King was lifebonded to the Queen, chances were, he would follow the Queen into death. The throne in Valdemar would then be insecure as there was no outright Heir. Chaos would follow…

-LS-LS-LS-

**Hmm, does anyone know which character I like best of all the characters that I have created? And please tell me which character YOU like most! Whether it is Kerrayrlia, Zarien, Liritia, the Lord Marshal, Tanvis, Zarielle, Irisa or others. Review NOW :)! **


	14. Shadows by the Moonlight

**Author's Notes: Well, this term is over at last, so I have a short period of free time before school starts again. We have one week of holiday (only). Anyway, thank you to all the reviewers! Reviews are what keeps writers going!**

**Replies:**

**mugglepirate - Happy to know someone is enjoying my story! And it's nice to know that someone likes Zarien. I didn't really plan out his character actually. He just grew out of the story, responding to Kerri's own development. I actually wanted him to have dark hair! But Kerri had black hair, and I felt that it would be more memorable for Zarien to have golden hair... And no, my favourite character is not 'Ritia. I like her manners and looks, but I think she is too gentle. My favourtie character is cool, rational and analytical Kerri, who has qualities I aspire to possess. :)**

**Neverfall - Haha, I spent the most time on this two characters in the story, so they are actually quite memorable. I tried to make likeable, yet imperfect characters, since I didn't want to be accused of producing Mary Sues and whatever the male perfect character is called. Yep, there were many hints of them being lifebonded before the previous chapter. And, hmm, I don't know, would you consider this chapter long:)**

**DragonFlame27 - Well, that depends on your definition of angsty. I suppose 'Ritia and Kerri would fall into that category, but I was trying to make this story realistic, and there rarely are people with happy, idealistic backgrounds in real life. And yes, waiting for four days is quite stupid, but Jisa was actually trying to improve security in the meantime to keep everything hushed up. It was not mentioned, because I think it's not really important. As for the rest of your comments, read on to find out the answer:)**

**silverbrilliance - Thank you for pointing out the mistakes. I'll get around to changing them one day :P Dorilynn noticed that Zarien loved Kerri. But she did not know it was a lifebond, because generally, only a lifebonded person would recognise another lifebonded. Oh, and people with Gifts of Empathy would know too, but other than that, few people would notice. Yes, being lifebonded is very rare. And I believe I mentioned that Zarien and Kerri and the only other lifebonded pair in the three Collegiums, not in the entire country of Valdemar. Well, I like using -LS- more than dashes. It adds a personal touch...:)**

-LS-LS-LS-

**Chapter 14 Shadows by the Moonlight**

By the morning light, Jisa studied Zarien closely after he nodded. After a long moment of silence, she smiled. _Take a break from lessons today, 'Rien. I'll inform the Dean. I'm sure you are in no condition to attend classes today. You spent all night standing vigil by your lifebonded, didn't you?_

A faint pink dusted across Zarien's tanned cheeks. _Yes, I did. How did you know, teacher-mine? _Jisa shook her head teasingly. _I'm lifebonded too, 'Rien. Well, you may go. Use today to show our new Trainee around the Herald Collegium._

Dismissed, Zarien sprang to his feet, bowed sharply and left eagerly. "Youngsters nowadays… Were we ever as moonstruck as that, beloved?" Treven shook his head mock-sadly at the closed door. He glanced at Jisa teasingly. Laughing, Jisa replied, _We were worse, darling. _

-LS-LS-LS-

Pale, silvery moonlight lit up the palace grounds, but the moonlight cast more shadows than light in the night. Clouds partially shaded the moon, so the light provided by the full moon tonight was faded at best. As if to match the small amount of light, the amount of sound that could be heard was also little. The only sound was the high chirping of the crickets.

In the palace gardens, Zarien and Kerrayrlia strolled slowly down a winding path lit by moonlight, hand in hand. No words were spoken out loud; nothing broke the enchantment of the silent night. The privacy of Mindspeech was all that they needed.

It had been three days since the lifebond between them had been revealed to Zarien. He had shared it with Kerrayrlia as soon as he left the Queen, face to face. And he had been rewarded by the enchanted glow that came to Kerrayrlia's face when she heard the news.

_How are you adapting to life at the Herald's Collegium? _Zarien squeezed Kerrayrlia's hands a bit. They had not had much time to themselves in these three days since Kerrayrlia had started her training as a Herald Trainee. Drinking in the silence around her, Kerrayrlia said nothing for a long time. _Actually,_ _it's quite similar to life in the Bardic Collegium, with the exception of some lessons. For one thing, there are no more music lessons. However, now I'm taking an extra array of Equitation, Logic and Oration and Arithmetic and Religions lessons. How do _you_ Heralds manage to have time to yourselves?_

_It's _us_ Heralds, love. And we steal a bit of free time now and then by sneaking off to enjoy the moonlight with our lovers… _Kerrayrlia gave Zarien a quick jab in the ribs. _Now you're teasing me. _Turning around swiftly, Zarien retaliated by forcefully grabbing the shoulders of Kerrayrlia, then kissing her lips fiercely.

At first, Kerrayrlia struggled a little at this unexpected assault, but she was soon returning Zarien's kiss just as fiercely. As their mind meshed together, their mutual love for one another resonated off each other's. The lovers lost themselves in each other's embrace as only life-bonded mindspeaking Heralds could do, content to just luxuriate in each other's passion in this period of dark quietness, time stolen away from the light and bustle of the day.

-LS-LS-LS-

Swiftly, a shadow detached itself from the massive wall surrounding the palace grounds. It made its way across the wide field at a full speed run as silently as a panther. Strangely enough, no one raised any alarm at this suspicious act, not even the guards on lookout.

The shadow reached the palace building itself within minutes. It did not even pause as it entered through the main doors of the palace. This door was guarded by a full company of Guards, but still, none raised an alarm as the shadow strode through confidently.

Once inside the palace, the shadow made for the palace dungeons immediately. It was on a mission, one that could not wait. Swiftly, it balled its hands into a fist before continuing down the endless passage ways of the palace. It would complete its mission.

-LS-LS-LS-

_Chosen, if you're going to continue kissing, would you mind shielding me out? It's kind of embarrassing. _Kerrayrlia broke off from the kiss, blushing a little. Rannael was a wonderful Companion, but his only fault was that he was too uncomfortable about displays of affection in his presence. Certainly, he was nothing like Dorilynn, whom, Zarien had informed her with no little embarrassment, wanted to listen in to their every conversation and actions.

_What's wrong, my Dark Princess? _Zarien asked teasingly, having caught sight of Kerrayrlia's blush in the moonlight. He did not let Kerrayrlia go, however, so they both remained locked in mutual embrace. _It's Ran. You know he doesn't like public display of affections. He's asking me to shield him out._

Zarien chuckled gently. _Rannael has to be the most prudish Companion of all, love. Most of the other Companions would jump at this chance to tease us mercilessly. Havens, you should hear the words I get from 'Lynn. _

Kerrayrlia shrugged. Rannael could lighten up, and had before, but he was seriously uncomfortable around sexual expressions. During the three days she had known him, Kerrayrlia had come to value his solemn advices and occasional dry humor, all the more valuable because of its rarity. She was about to say something in his defense when, she felt a strange, small tingling in her mind.

Apparently, Zarien felt it too, for he let Kerrayrlia go. _What is it, Zarien? _Zarien just shook his head. The strong, strange sensation at the back of his mind pulsated with both urgency and danger. Then, Zarien remembered. _The Web! Someone intends danger to Valdemar! We have to stop them! _Following the direction the sensation was pulling him towards, Zarien pulled Kerrayrlia after him.

-LS-LS-LS-

Lying flat on his back in the cell, Moris Ertiyn gave a disgusted sigh. The cell in the dungeon smelled of a mixture of urine, faeces, sweat and blood, no doubt left over from the cell's previous occupants. Even the straw mat he laid on was not completely clean, but it was at least relatively smell-free.

_How did it come to this, _the bastard son of Lord Percival Shyaman Debran questioned the world at large. His father had been the younger brother of the late Duke William Shyaman. When William Shyaman had inherited the title and land of Duke, Percival Shyaman had married the eldest daughter of the Earl Debran, whose only son, Giaryn Debran, had renounced all titles and land by becoming a Herald and the Weapon Master of the Heraldic Collegium.

The Shyamans were quite well connected indeed. And they were so rich that even the bastard son of a Shyaman had lived a life of luxury. So, it came as no small shock to Moris when those blasted Guards had thrown him into this filthy dungeon. _How did I get caught anyway?_ _Wasn't that guard of _his_ supposed to make sure that no one disturbed me? And how did the girl manage to knock me unconscious?_

Moris Ertiyn glanced scornfully at the walls of his cell. With luck, he would be out of this cell by tonight. His father would certainly send someone to free him. He would have to escape to another country of course, but he expected to live out the rest of his lives comfortably on the money that his father would certainly be providing for him. After all, he was his father's only son at the moment; the two other sons born to Percival, whether legitimate or otherwise, had both died in childhood.

_And if my father doesn't send someone to rescue me, I'm sure _milord cousin _would. After all, that Darcy Shyaman can't afford to have me leaking his secrets out. _He snorted. _Imagine plotting to have the Queen removed just so he can make his sister Queen. _

Rolling over to face the iron door of the cell, Moris Ertiyn settled down to await his would-be-rescuer. _A pity I haven't had the time to do the girl before she somehow knocked me out._

-LS-LS-LS-

**Hmm, what do you readers think of the nickname Zarien gave Kerri? Dark Princess came about because of Kerri's lovely, long black hair. Oh, and Zarien thought she looked like a royal princess because of her previously cool, regal mannerisms. **

**Come on, reviews please!**


	15. Plans of Darkness

**A/N: Huge, enormous, gigantic thank you to all reviewers! Also, thank you to all readers who have stayed with me until now despite my infrequent updates... I'm hoping to end this story in several more chapters though, so just bear with me until then.**

**Replies:**

**Neverfall - I was a bit worried that Ran would seem too serious to be likeable, so thanks for your comments to the contrary. I guess I was bored with cheerful Companions who possess a wicked sense of humour. That seems to be a stereotype of all the Companions I've come across in Mercedes' books so far... Still, is this update soon enough for you?**

**silverbrilliance - Oh, you're thinking along the romantic lines aren't you? But Zarien is a Herald, he's different from all the other chauvinistic males who are all overly protective of their lovers. Don't forget that Kerri is his sparring partner in Weapons; he knows that she can be a good fighter. Besides, Valdemar comes first and foremost to Heralds; didn't Vanyel sacrifice himself despite Stefan's love to save Valdemar?**

**dustigrey143 - (Gasps and squeals) Your reviews are so long! I was kind out jumping for joy when I got your review (and I received a huge stare from my visiting uncle for doing that). And you know, I like writing characterization more than action. I just love seeing the personality of the characters take shape throuh my writing. And, a lifebond is a very rare occurence. In Mercedes' books, she states that explicitly, but in her stories, I often encounter many lifebonded pairs, so I'd thought I would emphasizethe rarity of a lifebond in my story. Yep, Queen Jisa seems very suspicious of Kerrayrlia. I suppose it is the politicians' job to be suspicious, I don't really know a lot about politics. And it's nice to know Kerri and Zarien are likeable. I suppose I should devote some time to the other characters too, but that would mean a long novel. As to your second review, thank you for your compliments! I guess the reason behind the different elements in my story is because I would get bored writing a "one-sided" story:) Oh, there's already many of Mercedes' books and other fanfics dealing with the life of Heralds, so I did not go into detail there. As for the question about the shadow, hope this chapter answers your question. Also, Zarien and Kerri felt the harm intended to Valdemar through the magical Web that Vanyel wove around Valdemar; that if danger is intended, an alarm would be raised. The books I read weren't really specific on the question of how though, so I invented the details, i.e., there would be a sensation in the head bordering on pain that warns them of the presence and direction of the danger. Hope this helps!**

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**Chapter 15 Plans of Darkness**

Derrik Vala smiled to himself as he slipped silently through the large iron door of the dungeon. He was going to enjoy this mission very much. None of the guards even glanced at him as he walked past them boldly. Much of the credit of course, went to the mage who had cast this illusion on him just ten minutes ago outside the palace walls.

_What was his name? _Derrik couldn't remember. No matter. The mage was just another pawn in his lord's game, unimportant and disposable. For that matter, he himself was also a pawn to his lord. Derrik had no illusions about _that_. As soon as he proved to be useless, his lord would treat him as just another piece of junk.

The illusion that the mage had cast practically rendered him invisible to all but the most alert of guards. And right now, at this time of the night, none of the palace guards were very alert at all. In fact, with Valdemar as peaceful a country as it was, most of the palace guards had never seen much combat.

As Derrik walked past each cell, he looked carefully into each of them, searching for the person his lord had bade him to find. He could still remember his lord's exact words. "Complete your mission with the utmost care and stealth. Leave no witnesses. If you fail me, I expect you to be too dead to provide any excuses this time."

The recollection brought a frown to his face even as he continued his search. _It was not my fault that the Herald Trainee managed to rescue the girl. My lord specifically told me to keep everything as secret as possible. If I had attacked the Herald Trainee, the whole thing would have been blown up. _

When Derrik had caught sight of a Herald Trainee running down the small path in his Formal Grays, he had stepped back even further into the bushes he had been unobtrusively hiding in. He had let the Herald Trainee past, and he did the same with the Companion and the noble who followed. When they had all made their way into the grove, he had quickly escaped from the scene of crime.

His lord had not been pleased at all. Some of the wounds he had received from the resulting whip lashes were still not fully healed. Derrik had been given this assignment as a last chance to redeem himself in his lord's eyes. If he failed, he would be better off dead. Even death was preferable compared to the torture that Lord Darcy Shyaman would be sure to devise for him. He shuddered. His lord's tastes in pleasure ran to the perverse.

_So, I just won't fail, _he told himself. Peering through the small iron-barred window of yet another cell, he was rewarded this time by the sight of a man with long, curly copper coloured hair, who was wearing dark green coloured clothes. _This must be him. _Steeling himself against further unproductive thoughts, he set to work, using his thick, meaty fingers to pick the lock with surprising deftness, using the set of magic lock-picks the mage had provided.

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Aleron smiled to himself, very pleased. His spell had been completed successfully, without any loopholes. That would please his employer very much, and when his employer was pleased, he would benefit. Concentrating on his success, he tried not to think about the feeling that he was being watched.

_This cursed country! _Every since he had crossed the Border from Rethwellan into Valdemar, he had had a nagging feeling of watchers taking note of his every actions. And now it appeared that whenever completed a spell, the feeling of being watched would worsen, if what he was feeling now was any judge of that.

Stamping his foot a little, he tried to concentrate on the spell which would make anyone looking not notice him. It was something similar to the illusion he had performed on Derrik, but it required less strength and was less effective, as it wouldn't deter anyone looking specifically for him. _Still, it should be sufficient to hide me from the eyes of the Palace guards. _

With a relieved sigh, he released his completed spell. Now, he and the two horses would be just part of the scenery, no more remarkable than the wall he was standing next to was.

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Kerrayrlia pounded off towards the dungeon, her heart hammering with nervousness. She swept past the surprised guards at the main door to the Palace, who, on seeing her Trainee Grays, did not stop her. _Lucky for me, I'm now a Herald Trainee. If I was still wearing the Bardic Trainee uniform, I would have been hauled up for questioning. And I cannot afford to stop now, the danger Zarien sensed so strongly seems to be getting more urgent._

She had split up with Zarien a while ago, as he had pinpointed two different source of danger, one outside the Palace walls and one in the dungeons. Muttering something about Vanyel's Web, he had then sped off to meet his Companion and proceeded to find the other danger.

_Ran, does anyone else know about this 'danger' to Valdemar? _Rannael had been very upset that he could not be of more help to Kerrayrlia, but then, although there were few places that Companions were not built to go into, the underground dungeon deep in the Palace was one of them. Therefore, Rannael could only content himself by dropping all shields between him and Kerrayrlia, increasing the intensity of their three-day-old bond as far as he could manage.

He now spoke in a decidedly worried tone. _All the full Heralds and even the Trainees felt it, Kerri. Most of them are now rushing to the dungeon and outside the Palace as we speak, but Zarien and you are the closest to the trouble-spots. _Ever analytical, Kerrayrlia still found time to raise a question despite running at top speed through the slippery stone corridors of the Palace. _But how did they know? Did Zarien Mindspeak them? Wouldn't he be very fatigued then?_

Concern for her lover caused Kerrayrlia's heart to stop momentarily, but Rannael soon put a stop to that unease. _No, he did not exhaust himself using his Gift. All the Heralds and Trainees in Valdemar are part of a large Web created by Herald-Mage Vanyel. It's an alarm of sorts to warn Heralds of danger to Valdemar. It's extremely sensitive to true magic._

Kerrayrlia was even more alarmed now. The last mage in Valdemar had been Herald-Mage Vanyel Ashkevron. Surely there couldn't be a mage behind this danger! Running even faster, Kerrayrlia flew past curious servants and guards.

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Click! The locks gave way beneath the steady pressure of the magical lock-picks. Derrik smiled triumphantly, and then gave the metal door of the cell a small push. The door creaked open. Even though this was relatively enlightened Valdemar, prisons all over the world had the same neglected conditions. Who would waste time oiling the hinges of the door to a cell?

Still, this proved to be quite inconvenient for Derrik. Bit by bit, he opened the door, hoping that that would make the hinges creak less. It worked. He slipped his hulking frame through the gap, and found himself face to face with Moris Ertiyn. Or rather, _he _found himself face to face with Moris. Moris on the other hand, was confronted by what appeared to be a self-moving door and empty air. "Who's there?" Moris spoke in a strangled whisper. By this time, Mortis was sitting bolt upright, and, if the expression on his face was any judge, quite frightened.

_At last, the end of my mission is in sight. _Derrik knew he should end it here and now. He fingered the blade tucked into his belt lovingly as he circled around to Moris' back. The poison applied on it would be enough to kill even an elephant. For his lord had sent him here, not to rescue that sniveling coward, but to kill him.

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**Is this considered a cliffhanger? I heard it was a good way to end chapters, so I decided to try it...**

**Reviews please! The more I get, the sooner I'll upload the next chapter:)**


	16. Fighting the Darkness

**A/N: Well, my week long holiday is going end the day after tomorrow, so I'll not be able to update as fast...Still, continue to support this story, readers! I expect it to end at Chapter 20...And once again, thank you so much to reviewers:)**

**_This chapter is dedicated to Neverfall, who has reviewed this story a total of nine times! Thank you for your continued support. Your pen name is hidden somewhere in this chapter too..._**

**Replies:**

**Neverfall - You're always one of the first to review, thanks! Hee hee, the reason Ran doesn't have a sense of humour is because Kerri would just die if she had to put up with a Companion who had one, on top of her lifebonded and all. Well, thank you for the confirmation about the cliffhanger, and no, Kerri isn't going to touch the poison:p**

**silverbrillance - Well, Derrik is a sadist, and that is how he is. I don't know about normal human beings, but that is just how Derrik feels about annihilating Moris, whom he has a grudge against, since he was made to guard him a few nights before while Moris had his pleasure with Kerri. Oh, and I'm afraid Darcy Shyaman can only manage to find a 'weak' mage at such short notice. And since the matter about Moris was not supposed to involve the mage in combat, he just sent the 'weak' mage along. Aleron really isn't THAT 'weak'. Erm, and I don't think your suggestions about cliffhangers would work, since it would take a very skilled writer (which I'm not) to hint at the success or failure without giving the game away. **

**Whitewolf - Hope you can access your computer now, since it's a bit hard to read from a small cell phone screen. But thanks for your support:)**

**dustigrey143 - Thanks for your confirmation that the previous chapter was indeed a cliffhanger! That's why it's tense...And yes, mages in Valdemar are rare. In fact, Vanyel was the last mage in Valdemar, so there are currently zero mages there. And I'm glad that I'm able to add a bit of reality to a fantasy story; I've been accused of living in a dream before by family members... Oh, and Morris did not know whether Derrik was going to rescue him or not, but Derrik was invisible when he burst into the cell, and Morris could not see him at all. That's why he is frightened; he's afraid of the unknown, like most humans. Also, Liritia will pop up now and then along the way. And she is going to come back just once before the end. I don't really know how to insert her into the story too much, because she's not the kind that will have adventures: **

**mugglepirate - Hope you've managed to wait until now :P**

**Sunfairy - Hope this is 'soon enough' for you :P**

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**Chapter 16 Fighting the Darkness**

"There is no use trying to hide." Aleron froze at the sound of the ice-cold voice, which had seemed to come from nowhere. He turned towards the sound rather reluctantly, even though he would much rather jump onto one of the horses and gallop away. But he could not do that. He had accepted a commission from Lord Darcy Shyaman and he would do well to complete it.

It was not that he possessed any sense of honor. Rather, this determination came from his sense of self-preservation. He knew that Lord Shyaman would hunt him down to the very ends of the world if he fled now. Whoever had said those words could not even be compared to Lord Shyaman.

Before he could get more than a quick look at the person however, a cloud passed over the moon. Squinting a bit, Aleron could make out a silhouette of a person on horseback against the night sky. Dimly, he could see that the coat of the horse was white… _Bloody Sun-god! That's a Companion! That must mean that its rider is a Herald. Demon-spawns from hell, the lot of them._

"There is no need to swear so colourfully, mage. My Companion and I find it most offensive." Aleron gaped a bit at first, but then swiftly clamped down his shields tightly. He had not bothered to do so before because he did not think that he would actually encounter a Thought-sensing Herald. _Luckily, they did not have such abilities in Rethwellan. My exile would have been most horrendous otherwise._ The thought of his plans in Rethwellan being thwarted by mind-magic was almost too much for Aleron.

The clouds covering the moon thinned. A gentle white light illuminated the earth and Aleron could finally make out the features of his opponent. The first thing that struck him was his opponent's hair; a silvery golden waterfall in the moonlight. Then, he noted the person's sharp nose, high cheekbones and strong, smooth chin. Last of all, he took note of his opponent's clothes.

Zarien was wearing his pale Trainee tunic, which Aleron mistook for white in the silvery light. _A Herald and a Companion! What should I do now! _For a moment, Aleron panicked. Then, he collected himself. He had gone through years of arduous training in Karse before mages were exiled and that training took over now. A mental wall of cold, deadly steel slammed into place between his emotions and his thoughts. Instantly, Aleron became a different person altogether. _The Herald must not be allowed to live._

Arrogantly, Aleron sneered, "Scare me, that white horse of yours does not. Blood red, that white uniform will be turned." His speech was halting and had a strong Karsite accent to it, but months of preparation on his part for such an opportunity had included learning the Valdemaran language. Abruptly, he let loose a levin-bolt at the Herald.

While he was speaking those words, he had also been covertly gathering mage power and forming up an attack spell. Now, as he watched the Companion twist to one side and avoid the bolt, he started to prepare another levin-bolt. Foolish was the person who wasted time seeing what his opponent did. Remaining on the offensive was what he had been taught since young.

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Zarien flattened himself on Dorilynn's back as the levin-bolt brushed passed. He felt his hair stand at the proximity of the energy-charged bolt. For a few nanoseconds, he started to panic, but then, his lessons came back to him. _We'll let the mage find out what a Herald and his Companion can do, shall we?_ With that, Zarien lowered all of his mental shields and stretched his Mindspeech Gifts to their fullest.

_Zarien? Is the situation over there okay? _Kerrayrlia's mind voice was tinged with worry that she could not hide. Zarien almost smiled. It was difficult for anyone to lie mind-to-mind, and that meant that the mask which Kerrayrlia normally presented to the world at large could not hide her emotions in Mindspeech. But, instead of replying, Zarien shut out her voice regretfully, as he could not let himself be distracted.

Pitching his Mindspeech to its highest and loudest, Zarien shaped his Gift into a thin, sharp diamond blade and let loose. Through his Broadcasting abilities, Zarien sent a blast of focused Mindspeech scream at the mage.

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Kerrayrlia's brows creased with concern as she entered the stone dungeons. Torchlight cast strange shadows over the stone walls and floors, but Kerrayrlia was in no mood to puzzle over them. She had just wasted precious minutes arguing with the dungeon guards to let her in. In the end, only a sharp threat to the Guards, telling them that they could explain it all to the King and Queen if they hindered her, had convinced them that she was serious. There were some places where even a Herald Trainee could not go.

Then, Kerrayrlia had felt Zarien's mind brush against hers. She assumed that he had lowered his shields for some reason, and had in turn dropped her own shields to speak to him. His lack of reply whateverso worried Kerrayrlia no end. She tried reassuring herself that she would _know_ if Zarien was hurt; they were lifebonded, weren't they? But that did not help at all, and she found herself visualizing every possible scenario where Zarien could be hurt…

Kerrayrlia snapped out of her reverie with a conscious effort. Used to control, she simply did not like the uncertainty that came with loving someone. So, she dealt with it as best as she could, by walling off that worry in one corner of her mind.

As she rounded another turn, she saw a slightly ajar iron door. _Someone must have broken in. _There was absolutely no other explanation for it. So, Kerrayrlia glided over the stone paving of the dungeon, smoothly and quietly towards that particular cell. To judge by her actions, one would have thought that Kerrayrlia was confidently calm. In actual fact, her nervousness at that point in time surpassed all previous such feelings. She had not felt that anxious before; not even when she was being tested for entrance to the Bardic Collegium.

Heart beating slightly faster, Kerrayrlia pushed open the iron door. Vaguely, she saw a figure sitting upright in the center of the room. As she waited for her eyes to adjust, she was aware of the pungent smell of body wastes in the cell. This was mostly concentrated about the bucket towards the side of the cell. Yet, underneath all that offensive smell, Kerrayrlia thought she could detect a separate light fragrance. It reminded her of the beautiful little blue-coloured flower that grew near roses. What was it's name? _Ah yes, I remember now._ _It's called neverfall..._ _But 'Ritia told me once that it has a defense system; the juice of the crushed flower can be fatal if touched..._

Kerrayrlia narrowed her eyes. Someone else other than the prisoner had been in the cell recently, of that she was sure. The fragrance could not have come from the prisoner. _Speaking of which… _Kerrayrlia clenched her fists. She caught full view of the prisoner for the first time, making out the mob of red hair, pug-like face and the dark green clothing.

_That man! _For a moment, Kerrayrlia wanted to step up and strangle him. She felt irrationally angry; angry that the man who had _touched _her was still alive and relatively well. Yet, in the end, it was that irrationality that helped Kerrayrlia to control her anger. _She _was a rational person, no matter what had happened to her. That was an aspect of her that would never change.

Moris Ertiyn stared at her savagely. "Here to gloat, little bitch?" Kerrayrlia stared back coldly, but did not let the insult get to her. The man's features were twisted into a snarl, his whole posture one of challenge. Yet, Kerrayrlia could detect a hint of fear underneath his façade of bravado.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Kerrayrlia started to drop her outer shields and tried to Sense the thoughts of Moris. _Maybe I can find out why the iron door was ajar, and why he did not take the opportunity to escape… _As soon as she dropped her outer shields however, she felt the presence of another set of thoughts. She barely had time to register her surprise, when she heard the sound of a knife slicing through the air…

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**So, Neverfall, did you find it? I hope you don't mind being compared to a flower... (I apologise if you do, and will be willing to change it.)**

**Keep reviewing, everyone! I love reviews :)**


	17. Darkness, An End?

**A/N: I'm taking longer to upload chapters now, because of the large amount of school work and revision I'm having to do. And I don't have the time to check for spelling and grammar errors, so if you see any mistakes, bear with me. But still, thank you to all reviewers for your encouragement!**

**Replies:**

**Neverfall - Hmm, are you poisonous when crushed too:P I was not aware that cliffhangers are evil. Well, this chapter is not a cliffhanger, so don't get too worked up over it :)! And the projected ending is Chapter 20, but after the exams, I may decide to write a sequel if this story gets enough reviews... **

**Sunfairy - Glad you like this story, I'll keep writing, don't worry.**

**silverbrilliance - Does it sound like Yoda? I don't know, maybe Mercedes Lackey got inspiration from Star Wars? And yes, all Companions are white horses, their magic bleaches them white. In this, they are quite similar to the mages of the Hawkbrothers. And also, please remember that Kerrayrlia is not a full Herald. I think she did quite well, considering that she was in this situation with which she had no prior experience in. **

**mugglepirate - Thanks, I was afraid that it might be too fast or something.**

**And now, let's go on to the story. It's slightly longer than previous chapters.**

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**Chapter 17 Darkness…An End?**

As the full force of Mindspeech hit him, Aleron clapped his hands to his ears and moaned in agony. Writhing and squirming, he fell to the ground, all control over his body lost. He felt as if his brain was being forced into a container too small to hold it, and then pierced with thousands of sharp needles. All over his body, his muscles spasmed and twitched with bright slivers of pain that had traveled from the brain.

In this state, he could not even think, let alone do anything to fight back. The single thought he managed to produce was to wish for a quick death. _Anything to e…n…d…this agon-- _Then, thankfully, oblivion took him.

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Zarien watched coldly as Aleron hit the ground. He could see that Aleron was suffering and in pain, but he decided to continue his attack for a few more moments. His opponent was a mage, and as such, not to be taken lightly. If he stopped now, the mage might retaliate. Slightly shuddering at the thought of facing the levin-bolts again, Zarien did not stop his Mindspeech scream until the mage went limp against the ground.

As he started towards the crumpled figure on the ground, he heard Dorilynn's reproachful voice. _You should have stopped earlier, 'Rien. He has done nothing to deserve such treatment. _Without hesitation, Zarien retorted, _He was sneaking around the Palace grounds at night, _and _he was one of the sources of danger that Valdemar was facing. Much as I disliked it, I had to deal with him that way to ensure that he would be of no further harm to Valdemar._

He felt Dorilynn consider the matter as he dragged the mage upright. Strolling over to where the horses were tied, he untied them deftly. Then, he used the ropes that were previously used to tie up the horses to tie up the mage securely. _You're right, 'Rien. _There was a short pause. _I guess I was too revolted by the action that I failed to consider the causes and consequences of it. Valdemar comes before everything else._

Zarien hauled the mage up over onto one of the horses, noting that the mage was wearing a tunic cut in the style of the Rethwellan as he did so. _I apologize for snapping at you, 'Lynn. I guess……my actions disgusted me more than I realized. _Dorilynn sent a wave of pulsating warmth down their bond. A trifle sadly, she replied, _Sometimes we have to do things that we dislike, Chosen._

It was in this mood of melancholy that Zarien mounted Dorilynn and started off back towards the palace. Before he could reach the gates though, he heard a loud cry.

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Kerrayrlia barely had time to register the sight of the knife flying towards her face. In that one moment, as her world narrowed down to the approaching blade, she seemed to tether on the edge of life and death. She experienced profoundly the fragility of life; it could wink out in a blink of eye.

Then, that moment was gone, and her musing was replaced by terror; the fear of losing her life. It was this terror that overtook her, overrode all her logical thought processes and made her reach for her untrained, untried Gift. Once again, Kerrayrlia experienced the total loss of control that followed. She started to struggle a bit, then decided that she should give up fighting a losing battle…

_Oh no, don't give up, Chosen, _Rannael Mindspoke Kerrayrlia in his rich, serious voice. _I'll help you to control you Gift._ So saying, Rannael extended his support to Kerrayrlia through their Herald-Companion bond. Though their bond was still comparatively tenuous, having been bonded for only three days, it was still enough for Rannael to act as an anchor to Kerrayrlia.

With Rannael as an anchor, Kerrayrlia found it easy to control the power of her Gift, while at the same time still letting it act as it would. Her Gift of Fetching lashed out at the knife, moving the knife out of its course of trajectory. The Fetched knife suddenly appeared a few inches left of where it should have been, then continued traveling forward.

Kerrayrlia could feel the wind from the knife blow pass her hair as the knife flew past. Thanks to her Gift, the knife which should have hit her in the middle of her forehead caused no more damage than a scratch mark on the stone wall behind her.

Eyes narrowed, Kerrayrlia did not wait for the intruder to throw another knife. Instead, she dove for the bucket at the side of the cell. In one swift motion, she flung the contents of the bucket over Moris and at the general direction of where the knife had came from. The faeces and urine in it connected with the invisible intruder with a loud thud. Splotches of faeces and urine appeared suddenly in seeming mid air, forming the outline of person.

A grunt emitted from the intruder. No one could have maintained complete control after being drenched in foul smelling wastes, not even the most emotionless person. Kerrayrlia made use of this instance of distraction and sprang lightly forward, over the frozen Moris Ertiyn, and hit the heretofore invisible person on the head as hard as she could. The figure folded over like a pack of cards and collapsed onto the stone floor.

Panting slightly, Kerrayrlia turned to face Moris Ertiyn. Muscles tensed, his eyes were straying in the direction of the ajar door. "If I were you, I wouldn't move right now." Freezing, Moris slowly exhaled. Then, he turned back to Kerrayrlia with a sullen expression not unlike a spoiled child on his face. Like all bullies, he did not want to risk taking on a person who might be stronger, which Kerrayrlia may be since she was not tied up as before.

When Moris lay down again, Kerrayrlia dismissed him for her mind and turned her attention to Rannael. _Thank you, Ran. The light fragrance came from that knife. If not for your help, I would probably be badly poisoned and near death by now. _She could feel Rannael's smile even though she could not see him. _Nay, Chosen. No thanks are needed. We did this together, you and I._

Kerrayrlia started to say something more, but Rannael interrupted her. _Chosen, some Heralds are coming this way. They will arrive in a few moments. _There was a short pause, then Rannael continued. '_Lynn tells me that Zarien has also accomplished his task, and that he is unhurt._

For the first time since her moonlight stroll with Zarien was interrupted, Kerrayrlia broke into a smile.

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"Zarien, what's going on?" A short, stocky figure astride a white Companion rode up to meet Zarien. The loud cry Zarien heard had been an exclamation from him. Leading two horses behind him, Zarien eased towards the figure. "I found this mage outside the Palace walls, Dean Probert. He is the source of the disturbance caused in the Web." Dean Probert rode towards the unconscious mage on the back of one of the horses, taking a closer look at him.

"Rethwellan." He snorted in disgust. "A mage, you say? Well, Trainee Zarien, it looks like he may be one of those mages who escaped from Karse to Rethwellan years ago." Shaking his head a bit, he turned around and headed towards the Palace gates at a canter. "The King will be along in a few moments; he was just behind me. Let's move towards the gate to meet him."

Zarien complied and moved to follow. He tried to reach for Kerrayrlia, but found that he was completely exhausted. It was all he could do to speak to Dorilynn. _'Lynn, could you help me to ask Rannael to tell Kerri that I'm alright? And find out if she's hurt…_ The thought of Kerrayrlia hurt brought a lump into his throat. _Already done,'Rien. And don't worry, your lifebonded is completely okay. You overextended your Gift just now, 'Rien. Rest now._

Zarien reached forward and caressed Dorilynn's head with his right hand while keeping a tight hold on the reins of the two other horses with his stronger left hand. He did not try to Mindspeak her; his brain was already throbbing with the beginnings of a headache. But Kerrayrlia was safe and the danger to Valdemar over, at least for now. That was all that mattered.

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**Please give me reviews! I gobble them up very quickly, so I need some more...**


	18. Darkness at Dawn

**A/N: Yay, the ruler divider is finally working again! Nice to know that something is going well for someone. As for myself, well, let's just say that the stressful year end examinations atmosphere is getting to me. That's probably why I developed a mental blockk about this story. Sorry for the late update! And thanks to all reviewers, since your reviews are what keeps me writing.**

**dustigrey143 - No, Aleron didn't die. He'll appear again soon. Also, Dorilynn is wiser because she has been through life once already! Like all Companions who are not Groveborn, in fact. And only Heralds have Companiona because that is the special distinguishing feature about them. Heralds wouldn't be Heralds without their Companions. Rannael acts like an anchor for Kerrayrlia in that he gives her a focus to hold on to when she lets loose her Gifts, so that she won't become out of control. It gives her a link in her mind to reality. And Zarien overextend his Gift by using too much of it at once; it's like having to read finish a thick stack of notes all in one go. As for Rethwellan, it's a country just south of Valdemar, next to Karse, I think. I'm not very sure of that because I don't have any of Mercedes' maps with me. And I apologise for my poor phrasing, but the loud cry that Zarien heard did not come from himself, it came from the Dean. And as to the Companion's speed, Companions can move very fast, many times faster than an ordinary horse, which is already faster than most humans. And after all, Heralds are still humans, though they may be a bit special.**

**Neverfall - Thanks for pointing out that error. I shall change it sometime when I feel like it... Hopefully, that will be soon :P And I wouldn't be so bad as to keep everyone hanging for months! That's plain evil! And I'm afraid I won't be able to update too soon after this. Blame the teachers for their huge pile of homework. Sorry to disappoint you. Oh yes, are you still Nightstorm k'Vala?** **Why the sudden name change?** **(This probably tells you that I read your 'A Fairly Normal Choosing'. It's quite a funny story.)**

**icewolf325 - Nice to see that you've created an account :) And I will continue this story, you won't be able to stop me even if you want to :P**

**silver brilliance - Derrik is not someone you should feel sorry for. I don't like him. And thanks for taking time off your revision to review.**

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**Chapter 18 Darkness at Dawn**

Kerrayrlia leaned back and gave a contented sigh. Blinking slightly against the glow of the candles, she nestled more snugly against Zarien's shoulders. It was just before dawn, and both of them were currently cuddled up together in Kerrayrlia's room. Zarien had crept into the room some minutes ago, all dressed up in his Formal Greys. Thankfully, Kerrayrlia did not have a room mate yet, or things would have been awkward. Looking up, she saw that Zarien had closed his eyes and seemed to be smiling to himself. _What is it, Zarien? You look very satisfied with yourself._

Zarien blinked once and opened his bright grey eyes. _Hmm……like the cat that got all the cream you mean? And why shouldn't I be satisfied, love? We captured both the mage and the assassin, so Valdemar is for the time being out of immediate danger. And, the love of my life, the most beautiful and charming Trainee of all, is currently nestled against me…_

Kerrayrlia reached up and pinched Zarien on his left cheek. _Most beautiful and charming! You shameless flatterer, did you spend the rest of the previous night thinking up flowery things to say to me?_ Zarien laughed, the rich, almost tangible sound caressing Kerrayrlia's person. _Well, I couldn't sleep last night because of the reaction-headache so I might as well do something useful, right?_

Serious now, and deeply concerned, Kerrayrlia spoke out loud, "Ran told me about the possibility of an acute headache if a Herald uses a Gift too strongly and frequently. Is your reaction-headache serious? Does it still hurt now? Maybe we should skip the interrogation session. Let's go and see 'Ritia. She's a Healer, and I'm sure she will be able to do something for your headache."

A quick grimace passed over Zarien's face. "A Healer? Gods, don't make me see a Healer. The two types of people that Heralds are afraid of are Companions _and_ Healers." The last was said in a decidedly mournful tone. Kerrayrlia retorted, "Well, 'Ritia told me once that the worst patient a Healer could have would be either a Healer or a Herald."

"Well, she must know Heralds very well then. Let's see……'Ritia……you've mentioned her before." Kerrayrlia nodded, as best as she could from her relaxed position. "Her full name is Liritia Falker. She's a Healer Trainee and my best friend." A shadow passed over Zarien's face as Kerrayrlia started describing Liritia's looks and personality to him. He caught an image of Liritia from the huge warmth of feelings that Kerrayrlia had towards her. That girl……he had seen her before, albeit a younger version of her…

He was dragged out of his thoughts when Kerrayrlia scowled at him mentally. _I know what you're trying to do. Don't try to change the topic, Zarien. We'll find 'Ritia now._ As soon as she said it, she pushed herself up from Zarien's comforting warmth. After smoothing away the wrinkles in her formals, she clasp her lover's hands firmly and started to try to pull him up. At last, Zarien relented and stood up smiling. The smile slowly faded however, when he realized Kerrayrlia was serious.

Gently, he took hold of her shoulders in his hands. His eyes flashed intensely as he spoke quietly, "I have to attend the trial, love. I want to witness the proceedings…"Kerrayrlia's face was expressionless. After a while, she slowly nodded. "Let's go," she whispered softly, staring up into her lover's eyes. "The trial should start soon."

As they started towards the door, Zarien glanced back at the sky beyond the windows. "A trial at dawn……And of such characters too…Do you miss writing songs, love? When this ends, maybe you can write one about the whole dark plot and the trial. Oh, and the song can be titled 'Darkness at Dawn'." Nodding thoughtfully, Kerrayrlia did not say a word. The title was apt indeed.

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As Jisa entered her husband's cleared out study, she could not help noticing that the atmosphere was notably tense. Gifted with Empathy, she found the mood in the room uncomfortable and stifling. To prevent herself from getting too caught up in the emotional storm brewing, she slammed down her strongest shields over her Gift.

Treven had entered the room just in front of her. Turning his head back, he took her hands and led her to a pair of chairs made of mahogany wood and soft cream-coloured cushions. This pair of chairs was strategically located facing the doorway, at the head of the semi-circle of the ring of chairs, which surrounded a single chair in the center of the room.

Glancing around, Jisa saw that everyone was already seated. Seated to her immediate right was the Lord Marshal, sporting a stern, grim-faced countenance. In contrast, the two lovers seated next to him, Zarien and Kerrayrlia, though by no means light-hearted, exuded an aura of exuberance the only a recently lifebonded pair could have. Both looked smart in their formal uniforms, though Jisa could not comprehend why they would want to dress up for a trial.

_But then, Chosen, you've never understood the need for dressing up, have you? I remember you wearing that awful brown-coloured rustic tunic when you were young… _Jisa's lips curved into a smile. She had been the extreme opposite of her biological father in that aspect; ever the peacock, her father had always dressed beautifully, except when he was on field duty. Her smile widened as she caught sight of the Seneschal, who was seated on Treven's left. As always, he was gaudily, yet impeccably dressed. _He could have given Father some serious competition…_

A tentative tap on her shield interrupted her thoughts. _Teacher-mine? You seem very preoccupied with something. Worried about the trial? _She let her gaze wander over the rest of the people in attendance, which included two more full Heralds in Whites, as she shook her head mentally. Zarien's Gift was getting quite strong, since he was able to catch her feelings despite the full shields she had. Lifting away some of the shields, Jisa reached out to Zarien. _I would be lying if I said I wasn't, and both of us can't lie mind-to-mind. But I'm not really preoccupied. Just thinking about how smart you're looking in your Formals, little devil.

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Zarien was about to say more when the great mahogany doors opened, hinges creaking. Two Palace guards marched into the room with a prisoner pinioned between the both of them. Four more followed in their wake. Upon entering the room, one pair marched to take up positions behind the royal couple, while the other pair closed the doors and stood guard in the study, flanking it.

The prisoner, hands trussed up behind him, was seated in the chair at the center of the room and duly tied to the chair. Once secure, one of the Heralds stepped forward. _Who's he? _Kerrayrlia's mind voice was filled with curiosity. With a surprised chuckle, Zarien replied. _His name is Arrowyd Qamra. He was quite a good friend to me when I was in my first year as a Trainee. He was in his final year then, I think. I've not seen him in years; not since he left for his internship training. _After a pause, Zarien added, _He's also one of the best with the second-stage Truth Spell._

_Second-stage? _This question was addressed to Rannael.Kerrayrlia was quite puzzled by this term, although she was quite familiar with the Truth Spell. Gently, Rannael explained, _All Heralds can work the first-stage Truth Spell, Kerri. It's the only spell that Heralds can use. Some Heralds however, can use the second-stage Truth Spell. The difference is that the first-stage spell will only inform about whether a person's words is true but the second-stage Truth Spell can force the person to speak the truth. _

Kerrayrlia listened to Rannael's explanation with interest. This was more information that she had never known before she became a Herald. She doubted that most Bards knew about this tidbit of information, since none of the songs about Heralds had never gone into this much detail. So, it was with avid interest that she watched Arrowyd cast the spell about the prisoner. As Arrowyd stepped back, the only difference she saw in the prisoner was the faint blue glow surrounding him.

King Treven cleared his throat. Features expressionless, he started questioning the prisoner in a firm and cold tone. "What is your name?" The prisoner's face was just as devoid of emotions as the king's. He certainly showed none of the feelings that Kerrayrlia would have expected from a man in his position. His words too, were almost disappointingly bland. "Derrik Vala."

King's Treven's next questions, however, drew everyone's attention. "What were you doing in the palace dungeons last night?" His face still blank, Derrik answered, "I was sent to silence Moris Ertiyn." An ominous silence followed this statement, as everyone contemplated how close they had been to losing their only evidence then.

After a while, King Treven continued the questioning. "Sent? By whom?" Derrik's face now flashed with emotions. Was that anger? Or was it fear? Kerrayrlia decided that it was a mix of both. "I was sent by my lord, Darcy Shyaman." As soon as the mastermind was revealed, the silence in the air became almost thick enough to swallow.

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**Whoosh, this chapter is a bit longer than previous ones. I hope to make up for the long period of silence after this...sorry to all readers, but I really got to try to pass my exams. Don't think that I like revision more than writing, as a matter of fact, I hate revision. :(**

**Keep the reviews coming though, it will help to push me into writing the next chapter :)**


	19. Odds and Ends

**A/N: Sorry for taking such a long long time to upload, but I am still in the midst of my exams. Actually, I should be revising, considering that I still have three more subjects' examinations, but I decided to write instead, because of the reviews that I got (they show that people are reading the story). This chapter is not really very exciting, but it ties up the loose ends left hanging around in the story, and starts the beginning of another small, small sub-plot (which I plan to resolve in Chapter 20 in time for the ending). **

**Thanks to all reviewers, here are your replies:**

**Neverfall, a.k.a Nightstorm k'Vala - You're so lucky! I can't find the series Winds of Change anywhere in the libraries. But based on the summaries of the books I've read off websites, they're quite interesting. And Zarien doesn't meet 'Ritia in this chapter yet, so it will be a disappointment to you, I suppose. And everyone thinks of Kerrayrlia using her full name because that is what she tells people her name is when introducing herself. Only her friends know she doesn't like her name, because she only tells them that after she becomes close to them, and by that time, they are too used to thinking of her as Kerrayrlia.**

**silverbrilliance - Yeah, I hate exams. And well, the previous chapter is not the climax. It is the beginning of the resolution. Don't ask me why, I can't explain it. It's just a whim of mine.**

**icewolf325 - Thanks for your compliment, and the story is going to end soon (if all goes well, in the next chapter), so you don't have to be unhappy about it any longer.**

**Deer-Shifter - Well, this trial is a bit small-scaled. And I got most of the questioning style from movies and TV shows, so if it is too dramatic or something, sorry about that.**

**dustigrey143 - Haha, I didn't really set a deadline for reviews, so it is not overdue. Actually, the main climax _is_ over, but I hope there will be another small sub-plot coming in. As I mentioned above, the title is kind of hard to explain. It is a bit of foreshadowing, but only for the problems in the trial. No real danger though. And yes, Zarien's strength in Empathy will surpass Jisa, but that will be in the future. And the Truth Spell is one of the abilities of the Heralds that all Heralds have. And I don't mind answering your questions, they prompt me to think deeply and explore the reasons behind my story.**

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**Chapter 19 Odds and Ends**

The atmosphere in the room was oppressive enough to choke anyone. The weak dawn sunlight streaming into the room from the third-floor window seemed dimmer, and the fresh breeze which had been cooling the room died away suddenly, leaving its occupants caught in the stifling warmth.

Zarien took in a deep breath, and then exhaled. Lord Darcy Shyaman was an influential and powerful person. Though young, he was already on the Privy Council of King Treven, alongside with Zarien's father. Based on what Zarien had heard from his father, he knew the Lord Shyaman to be a shrewd, if a bit stiff-necked, person who provided wise counsel to the king. Zarien found it a bit hard to believe that he was behind everything.

From the looks on everyone else's faces, they shared his sentiments. Various expressions ranging from slight surprise to open disbelief were displayed openly, at least for a few minutes. But soon, Zarien could see King Treven pulling himself together. The prisoner would not have been able to lie, not when he was under the second-stage Truth Spell. As much as it was unbelievable, Lord Darcy Shyaman was the mastermind behind the planned assassination.

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Kerrayrlia placed her hand over Zarien's. As much as she was ignorant of fine politics, even she could see that this revelation was a huge blow to everyone else in the room. She deduced that the duplicity of Lord Darcy Shyaman would affect the stability of Valdemar greatly, since both the King and the Queen looked greatly worried. Zarien too, showed distress, his face twisted almost into a frown. It was the first such expression Kerrayrlia had seen on his face since she knew him, and Kerrayrlia was quite worried. Was this then, the other side of Zarien that she had never seen; the one which made everyone think him coolly intense?

She had no time to pursue her worries. King Treven started to speak, his voice colder than the weather outside. "Neal, I entrust you with the task of taking Lord Darcy Shyaman into custody. If he resists arrest, I authorize you to use all the force that you deem necessary. You may take a company of the Palace Guards with you." This was addressed to the other Herald, a stocky, muscular young man in his late twenties. With a brisk nod which sent his long coppery brown fringe tumbling down onto his face, he rose from his chair and headed off.

Zarien mindspoke to Kerrayrlia, his voice just the slightest bit worried. _The King is taking a bit of a gamble. Lord Shyaman reputedly has the most skilled bodyguards in Valdemar. If he decides to resist capture, there is not much one company of Guards can do… _He trailed off, then flashed a quick smile at Kerrayrlia. _I'm sure you're wondering 'Why not send more Guards then?' right?_ Kerrayrlia gave a mental shake of her head. _No, I know why the King chose to do it this way. Sending more guards would just alarm Lord Shyaman…Do you think he can be put to justice, Zarien? _

A bit sadly, Zarien shrugged. _There isn't really overwhelming evidence, love. Derrik's testimony alone would not be enough to convict a man of his position. But maybe… _Zarien did not finish this statement, instead choosing to listen as Queen Jisa started to speak.

"Very well, Derrik Vala. You were sent by Lord Shyaman. Recount what you did as you left to follow his orders." The enormous man just nodded simply and started narrating his part in the events last night, all trace of previous emotions gone, such that if not for her strong belief in her pair of eyes, Kerrayrlia would have doubted whether she had seen that display of emotions.

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"That will be all Derrik Vala," Jisa dismissed the prisoner coolly after his entire narrative. The whole story coincided with what her student and his lifebonded had told her. Not that Jisa had expected otherwise; the Herald trainees would not lie and Derrik could not lie. Still, some new information had come to light. It turned out that the mage had been hired by Lord Darcy Shyaman through his uncle, Lord Percival Shyaman Debran using the money of the Baron Monthallen. _That_ piece of information should have come as a huge shock, but Jisa felt that nothing could surprise her anymore after the announcement of Lord Darcy's involvement in the plot.

Jisa sent a mental sigh to her husband. _Oh Trev, this mess is turning out to be bigger than I thought. How could it be that so many people wants to kill me? Am I really that hated?_ Although Treven's eyes were fixed on the back of the retreating prisoner and following entourage, he reached over to clasp Jisa's small hands with his own. He spoke in a firm tone. _It has nothing to do with you, Jisa. If you want to dish out blame, blame it on the ambitions of Darcy, Debran and Monthallen. I am very sure that no one would try to kill the _Queen_ of Valdemar just because of personal hatred. Those three must have had some plot to further their ambitions_

Mentally giggling a little, Jisa shook her head slightly. _I suppose I had forgotten that other than being Jisa, I am also Queen of Valdemar. Of course, they might not have anything against me personally. It is kind of egoistic of me, I suppose, to assume that I could cause such strong emotions in a man such that he is willing to risk death or exile. _Treven sent her a mental nod of approval, which he followed with a rejoinder. _Oh beloved, glorious in the dawn of light, most beautiful lady in Valdemar, don't you know that I would willing risk both death and exile for you?_

Jisa spluttered, both mentally and out loud. Before she could do anything however, Treven clapped his hands to signal to the remaining guards in the room. "Bring in Moris Ertiyn." Then, he sat back down, keeping his face kingly and serious, even though his eyes twinkled at that expression on the face of his beloved.

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This time, the questioning was done by the Lord Marshal. Kerrayrlia thought that apt and fitting, since that man had been caught violating the law in the gardens of the Lord Marshal. "You are Moris Ertiyn, eldest bastard son of Lord Percival Shyaman Debran, aren't you?"

Sulkily, the man in chains nodded. Then, clearing his throat, he blustered, " I'll have you know that my father and cousin will get me out soon. You wouldn't dare do anything to thwart their will!" Although he hated his cousin with all the vehemence he could muster, that did not prevent him from using his cousin's name to save his life. That was the type of man that Moris was.

Lord Marshal Revay Arian said coldly, "The Lord Shyamans will be dealt with later. As for you, you will restrict yourself to answering the question in future." Moris looked as if he would like to say some more, but a glance at the Lord Marshal's face convinced him otherwise.

As the father of her lifebonded continued the questioning, Kerrayrlia studied the prisoner. _This is the man who tried to rape me._ Silently, Kerrayrlia asked herself about her feelings towards him. Had she truly dismissed the incident as just another memory? Or does she still feel strongly about it? Just as she was beginning to fall deep into analytical mode however, Rannael intruded gently. _Kerri, don't worry about it. Just leave it for a while. If you really possess any strong feelings towards Moris, it will surface in time. For now, try to comfort your lifebonded. _Kerrayrlia gave a small guilty start, so small that it was invisible to everyone else. _Of course. Zarien is Gifted with Empathy; he doesn't need me to add to the tension he is already sensing._

Meanwhile, the Lord Marshal was commanding Moris Ertiyn to reveal all that he knew of the plot. Under the compulsion of the second-stage truth spell, Moris had no choice but to speak. "Darcy Shyaman, my _cousin,_" Here, he spat the words out with so much venom that Kerrayrlia wondered. Wasn't he using his cousin as a shield only minutes ago?

Moris continued, "…wants to dispose of the Queen. He got Father to help him. Father went along with the plan when he heard that the Queen is not really the daughter of King Randale at all, but the daughter of Vanyel Ashkevron." Here, Moris paused before continuing slowly, "It's ridiculous, but that's what Darcy told Father. And Father is furious about that; he's one of those traditional stiff-necked fools who think very strongly of line and heritage. That's probably why he went along with the plot, and even got Baron Monthallen to provide financial assistance."

Kerrayrlia heard Zarien let out his breath in a hiss. _What is it, Zarien? _Zarien shook his head slowly, then replied, _Baron Monthallen is one of the richest lords in Valdemar. Politically speaking, he does not have much status, but his money gives him power. _Frowning mentally, Kerrayrlia glanced at Zarien. She did not like what she heard at all. _There's going to be trouble, am I right? _His face now a rigid mask, Zarien nodded.

"That's not all," Moris commented. Here, his tone change to one of boastfulness, and Kerrayrlia thought she detected grudging admiration in his voice. "That cousin of mine also plans to install Lady Vevinaa Shyaman as Queen of Valdemar, once the current Queen has been gotten rid off." Moris flicked a nervous glance at Queen Jisa, afraid that she might take offense. After all, his life was more or less in her hands.

But the Truth Spell compelled him to proceed. "Of course, Lady Vevinaa herself knows nothing about this, innocent child that she is. She is devoted to her brother, she will do anything Darcy asks her to. Once Queen, Vevinaa will influence the king in anyway her brother commands her to." Kerrayrlia shivered at the cunning of Darcy Shyaman. No one would detect the duplicity of Vevinaa, simply because she would be an innocent.

"Of course, we know that the king and queen are lifebonded." Moris paused for a while, squirmed, then added, "There are high chances that the king will follow the queen into death, then we will take advantage of the ensuing conflict." As Kerrayrlia listened with growing horror, Moris Ertiyn then proceeded to outline the plan of Darcy Shyaman, how he would use his skills to manipulate himself onto the throne.

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She was still in a daze when the next prisoner was brought in. Absently, Kerrayrlia noticed that two Heralds followed Aleron into the room, and from the looks of it, were under great strain. She deduced that they were using mind magic to keep the mage from using his magic. Caught up in her own thoughts, she missed the short intake of breath that Zarien produced when he caught sight of the Karsite-turned-Rethwellan mage, Aleron. As the Truth Spell was once again cast, this time by Queen Jisa, and the exhausted Arrowyd sank down into his seat, Zarien recalled where he had seen Liritia Falker before.

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**Please don't blame me if you find the chapter boring (ducks from thrown objects). It has to be here to resolve the conflict in the front. And I was kind of rushing this out in the midst of revision. If you want to blame someone, blame whoever invented exams. And I'll try to update after my exams, which would be around the middle of next week.**

**Reviews are very welcome, even if they are negative!**


	20. Light after Dawn

**A/N: At last, my exams are OVER! Yay! Now I have two whole days to relax before the results get out. I have the feeling that I did badly in most of them...Anyway, I was a bit disappointed when I only got one review for Chapter 19. It can't have been that bad, could it?**

**Still, if chapter 19 hasn't scared off most of my readers, here is the long awaited finale to Darkness at Dawn...Light after Dawn! If most of you have forgotten Liritia, I recommend you read chapters 3 and 5 again.**

**Reply to silverbrilliance's review: **

**Yeah, but some people find characterization boring. Oh, and people do display emotions when under the Truth Spell; it's just Derrik who has lost interest in the proceedings around him. Te moment he was caught, he had given up on his life, and longed only for a quick death before Darcy Shyaman finds out.**

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Chapter 20 Light after Dawn**

Zarien walked out of King Treven's study, still deep in thought. The trial about the mage, Aleron, had been short and brief. Once his guilt was established, the Karsite-refugee-turned-Rethwellan had been sentenced to life imprisonment, along with Moris and Derrik. Zarien thought that that was just and even merciful, especially since the mage had been prepared to commit even more crimes. Indeed, from all signs of it, the mage had no morals at all.

But Zarien suspected that the mage would not last long. Aleron had shown signs of insanity even during the trial. Zarien knew that this was due to Vanyel's Web. It was a recorded fact that Vanyel Ashkevron had created a Web to protect Valdemar from all true magic after he died. It was so effective that mages had not been seen in Valdemar for years, mostly because the spell included the air elementals, whose job was to watch any magic users and to let them know that they were being watched.

From personal experience, Zarien knew that people tend to be quite paranoid, so the spell actually was useful in getting mages out of Valdemar, since no one liked the feeling of being watched. Zarien also suspected that the more true magic the mage used, the more he or she would be watched by the air elementals, which would explain Aleron's behaviour. _He _had used many spells the night before.

That settled, Zarien turned his mind to other matters, not noticing that Kerrayrlia was looking at him strangely. The thoughtful, intense expression on his face unsettled Kerrayrlia a lot, but she kept silent as she took in the side of Zarien she had never seen before. _This is a new part of Zarien, the person whom I love…_

Suddenly, Zarien stopped in his tracks and turned to face Kerrayrlia. Although startled, Kerrayrlia masked her surprised successfully as Zarien said, "Love, there is something I have to discuss with you." _Your best friend, Liritia Falker, is related to Aleron somehow. When we talked about her this morning, you showed me a image of her, right? But before that, I had seen her before. Just now, in the study, I realized that I had seen her in the images I picked up from Aleron's mind last night…_Then he told her what he had seen.

Kerrayrlia remained impassive despite her shock. She had known all these of course, Liritia herself had told her most of it. But to know it happened was very different from to see what had happened. And Kerrayrlia had seen it, courtesy of Zarien's Gifts. It was a lot to swallow at once, but Kerrayrlia managed it; at this moment, her emotions did not matter. _Zarien, we should tell 'Ritia about this. Although the King asked for temporary silence about the trial and verdict, she has the right to know. Even if we get into trouble for telling her._

Zarien's lips curved into a half-smile. _Don't worry about it, love. I'll tell 'Lynn to pass the message along to Jisa and get official clearance. Let's go.

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Liritia Falker leaned against the window ledge, gazing at the melting snow. It was an unusual occurrence in the midst of winter, but the mid-morning sun had emitted a large amount of heat and light, so much so that the temperature had risen high enough to melt the snow. A brand new day seemed to beckon, though Liritia had been up since dawn to care for patients. Her beautiful reddish brown hair moved gently in the breeze as if to agree with her observation.

A knock on the door disturbed her contemplation. "Come in." As the unlocked door moved opened, Liritia turned to face her visitors. She got a pleasant surprise as Kerrayrlia stepped through the doorway, followed by a young Herald Trainee with grey eyes. Liritia's eyes rested on the stranger as she moved to greet Kerrayrlia.

Enfolding her friend in a hug, Liritia smiled sweetly. "It's good to see you again, Kerri." Kerrayrlia was stiff under her hug, but Liritia took it to be her friend's usual reticence. Letting go, she stepped back and smiled softly, "Do introduce me to your companion, Kerri."

Kerrayrlia's face was neutral as she made the introductions. "'Ritia, this is my lifebonded, Zarien Arian. Zarien, this is my best friend, Liritia Falker." Her tone was so matter-of-fact that Liritia almost missed the word. "Your _lifebonded, _Kerri?" Liritia shook her head disbelievingly. What with one thing and another, Kerrayrlia had neglected to tell anyone about her lifebond with Zarien.

Liritia knew that Kerrayrlia would not lie to her, but this…Liritia broke into a warm smile as she absorbed the information. "Congratulations, Kerri." She hugged Kerrayrlia again, glowing with happiness at her friend's good fortune.

Then, Liritia remembered her manners. Not that she had ever forgotten them, but it had been put out of her mind temporarily. "Please, have a seat." She gestured expansively at the bed and the chairs in the room, settling herself gracefully on the bed. Kerrayrlia and Zarien both sat down on the chairs, side by side.

Silence in the room lengthened as Kerrayrlia and Zarien both remained silent. Liritia, sensing the strange tension in the room, tried to dispel it. She was about to speak when Kerrayrlia cut in. "'Ritia, I think you should know something." Glad that someone had spoken at last, Liritia settled back to listened.

"'Ritia, last night, Zarien caught a mage lurking about the palace walls. A true mage, such as which hasn't been seen in Valdemar for some fifteen years." Proceeding to tell Liritia most of the details, Kerrayrlia watched her friend closely. Liritia was listening with an interested expression, and Kerrayrlia steeled herself for the stone to drop.

"'Ritia, the mage's name is Aleron. When Zarien caught him last night, he Saw images of you in his mind." Kerrayrlia felt Zarien's mind enfold her with comfort and support as she braced herself for Liritia's reaction. At first, Liritia just stared blankly at Kerrayrlia. Slowly, as the full impact of the news hit her, she began to shake.

She whispered, "He's here? Then…what about Mother? He left her behind?" Wide eyes unseeing, Liritia turned to Kerrayrlia. "What's going to happen to him?" Kerrayrlia told her the verdict. She reached over and took Liritia's stiff hands in her own, prepared for anything. What came next however, surprised her.

"I'm so…so glad!" Liritia whispered with fierce joy, so unlike her that Kerrayrlia worried about her friend. "And, I hate him! I hate him!" But then, after saying that, Liritia broke down into tears, spawned from a mixture of emotions so complex that Kerrayrlia could not understand. From the looks of it though, Zarien could, and did understand. Gently, he handed Liritia a clean, spotless handkerchief. "Liritia Falker, it is natural to feel anger and even hatred for a man who has treated you badly and deceived your mother. There is no wrong in that, hence, no guilt should be felt."

Kerrayrlia did not really get what her lifebonded was saying to her friend, but she did know that her friend needed comfort. She moved over to Liritia's side and hugged her tightly, using her voice to soothe her, though she took care not to use her Bardic Gift. Slowly, Liritia's sobs subsided. When she looked up from where she had put her head into her hands, her hazel eyes were clear, though still red from crying. "I'll be alright, Kerri. You don't have to worry. But, I'd like to be alone for a while." _I want to think this through on my own, Kerri,_ her eyes pleaded.

Taking the hint, Kerrayrlia and Zarien left the room slightly worried, leaving the pale-looking and fragile Liritia shivering ever so slightly on her bed.

* * *

**Epilogue (around eight and a half months later)**

The golden sunlight of the autumn morning bathed the gardens of the Palace, casting a golden hue on everything. Bathed in warm sunlight, Jisa seemed to glow radiantly. Her round cheeks were tinged a rosy red, which brought out the cherry colour of the lips curved into a smile.

As she cradled a warm bundle against her bosom, her eyes rose and met that of her husband's. He was sitting beside her on the stone bench, one warm arm drawing her into a protective and comforting embrace. As their eyes locked, both fell into a timeless moment suffused with joy and happiness. Silently, Jisa cuddled closer to her husband.

The golden moment was interrupted when a gurgle emitted from inside the bundle. As one, Jisa and Treven bent their heads closer to the bundle. Bright, round light-brown eyes stared back up at them for a few second and then blinked a few times. One short strand of pale blond hair escaped, which Treven tucked back lovingly.

"Oh, Trev, isn't she just lovely?" Jisa smiled down at her daughter, holding her tighter. In reply, Treven squeezed Jisa into a tight hug, taking care not to disturb the baby. Then, he smiled and added, "Any child of yours would be lovely, beloved. And little Vanyelis has gotten your beautiful eyes."

Jisa looked at Treven speechlessly. On seeing her surprise, Treven chuckled. "I know how you feel about not being able to acknowledge your father when he was alive, beloved. And there is no shame that our eldest child shall be named after the legendary Herald-Mage Vanyel Demonsbane." For a moment, Jisa considered objecting, due to political reasons. The plot to kill her months ago was still fresh in her mind, and Darcy Shyaman was still at large, Jisa was pretty sure that there were other lords who were still unhappy about her parentage. But then she decided that none of that politics mattered, at least, not where her child was concerned.

_Vanyelis Valdemar._ A joyous light lit up her eyes as Jisa said simply, "Thank you." At this moment, Jisa felt that she was the luckiest woman in the whole of Valdemar. She had a loving husband, a lovely daughter, and of course, her ever-present Companion.

* * *

Elsewhere in the Palace gardens, two Herald trainees were walking along a path strewn with fallen leaves of various shades of yellows and reds. The fall colours exuded an ambience of gaiety and vibrancy. By contrast, the colouring of two Herald trainees seemed somber and out of place, since both were wearing the pale grey uniforms that marked their stations. 

"Lord Darcy still hasn't been caught yet." This, delivered in a melancholy tone, came from the Herald trainee with straight blond hair tied up with a grey ribbon, which had a plaited tail hanging from it. The hair itself was pulled into a tight ponytail that fell just past his shoulders. This was the style currently fashionable in court right now, and Zarien, Herald-Diplomat that he was going to be, found that it was useful in aiding his mingling among court circles.

"I heard some rumours that the Border Guards found someone of his description lurking around the Border Valdemar shares with Rethwellan a week ago." Seeming cool and unconcerned, only an expert would have detected the hint of worry underlying the voice. The person who owned the voice had a hairstyle that was at odds with that of her companion, her hair fell in unruly waves around her face and past mid-back. Yet somehow, her seeming disheveled look never displeased the eyes, rather, it seemed like a deliberate piece of art. This then, was what Kerrayrlia could do; stand out without seeming to, the opposite of what Zarien does.

Zarien answered with a shrug, "Rumours have abounded since Darcy Shyaman slipped past Neal's encirclement eight and a half months ago through that underground tunnel he dug in his cellar. We'll soon see if the rumours are true." There was nothing to say to this, so Kerrayrlia remained silent, though she did slip her arm through Zarien's. "Speaking of rumours, a few hours ago, 'Lynn told me that King Treven's Companion told her that the king has decided to name his daughter Vanyelis. Isn't that wonderful, love?"

Kerrayrlia stopped in her tracks. "But won't that lead to a lot of political tensions?" After eight and a half months of study as a Herald trainee, Kerrayrlia was getting more sensitive to politics in Valdemar. Zarien had been tutoring her as much as he could, but that would stop come spring, as he would be leaving for his Internee circuit. In reply, Zarien just gave Kerrayrlia a wry smile, as though to say 'When has that ever stopped King Treven?'

The pair walked on in silence for a little while more, before Kerrayrlia spoke again. "'Ritia has been promoted to Journeyman status. She will be leaving in a week's time." Coming from Kerrayrlia, it sounded detached and emotionless, but Zarien did not need his Empathy to know his lifebonded was sad at having to be separated from her best friend. And Zarien himself would be gone in a few months time… Zarien put his arm around Kerrayrlia. "Has Liritia gotten over the incident yet? Aleron took his own life almost two months ago."

Kerrayrlia shook her head slightly. "'Ritia is a kind hearted person. She feels guilt for hating the mage, and also guilt towards her mother for some reason or another." To Kerrayrlia, such guilt was absolutely illogical and thus beyond her ability to comprehend and Zarien did not see the need to enlighten her either. It was this practicality that he admired about her.

Just as Zarien was deep in his thoughts, Dorilynn suddenly spoke up. _'Rien, I have news for you..._To Kerrayrlia, a fellow Trainee, the sight of Zarien cocking his head to one side was not at all strange, so she waited patiently. At last, Zarien seemed to shake himself, then turned to Kerrayrlia. His manner was exuberant, his tone exited, and his face was lit up with a smile. "Love, they've finally caught him!" Seeing the bemused look on the face of his lifebonded, Zarien clarified, "They've caught Darcy Shyaman. They're bringing him to Havens even as we speak."

As the sun reached its peak of its travels in the sky, it illuminated Kerrayrlia's face, highlighting both the blue highlights in her glossy, midnight black hair and the huge smile that was evident in her pale, blue eyes. Caught up with happiness and relief, she let herself be swept into a passionate kiss by Zarien, which lasted for long moments as they both drank in the joyousness in the atmosphere. (Kerrayrlia remembered to shield Rannael out his time though)

* * *

**The End.

* * *

Although this is the last chapter, I'd still like reviews about it. You can tell me whether you like the ending and also, the entire story. Also, I'd like advice on whether I should continue with a sequel (it's quite a commitment and I'm not sure if people will like it).**

Thanks to all readers who have followed this story patiently.

Special thanks to all reviewers who have taken the time to give me feedback. I really appreciate it.


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